Why do Chinese and Japanese employees give me small gifts at work?

Question

I work in a typical office environment with many internationals because the company for which I work translates and transliterates academic articles. I recently trained several Chinese and Japanese employees one-on-one for a new project. Several weeks later, three of the female Asian trainees separately gave me small gifts. One employee gave me hand lotion and a bag of candy, another gave me an expensive candy bar and a third gave me Chinese candy and a purse from China for my wife. I am a young white American male and not in any sort of supervisory, managerial or leadership position, so there is no perceived incentive for brown-nosing. There was no indication that I like candy or that my wife needed a purse; all the gifts were unsolicited. I accepted all the gifts out of politeness, but I am curious to know if I am expected to reciprocate according to Chinese and Japanese cultures?

Answer 1

idk about japanese culture but in china, to put it in a really blunt way, they give gifts all the time to suck up and hope that you do better for them in the future. as in if you were to train them again, you'd do it with your best efforts.



*shrug.

Answer 2

In the Chinese and Japanese cultures, giving small gifts is a means of sharing their "luck"... their "wealth"... their "goodwill." Especially at the time of their New Years, they give small gifts, usually wrapped in red paper (red is a color of good luck) in order to share the luck and good fortune of the coming new year. There is NO NEED to reciprocate if you do not practice the same as they do in their culture. Your polite acceptance, even maybe with a slight (almost unnoticeable) bow, and smile, is perfectly fine.





Have a polite day.

Etiquette takes over where laws end.

Answer 3

No, you are not expected to reciprocate!



In many Asian cultures, small gifts are meant as tokens of esteem. They are usually very beautifully wrapped, as well--the intention is that it is the actual PRESENTATION of the gift, not the gift itself, that has meaning.



The highest honor you can pay to such a gift giver is to display the gift, still wrapped! If you must open the gift, save the tato, the decoration on the gift, as a memento.

Answer 4

Haha. i'm probable thoroughly biased, yet i pass to assert my popular style is chinese language! it somewhat is sweet, I stated it!! And so what if i'm in straight forward terms picking that because of the fact i'm a pair of quarter chinese language! that doesn't remember! :| Lol. No, yet on a intense word, I could desire to agree. Korean music is probable the perfect out of the different 3. YG entertainment is definitely one of the main important Hip-Hop producing agencies interior the international! Duhh.

Answer 5

Not sure about chinese culture but in japanese culture, they give gifts to each other to maintain good relation.

don't consider it as a bribe, lot of japanese do that with each other, with their friends, family, relatives, etc.

It is just a sign of 'thoughtfulness".

Answer 6

Kevin, you're so lucky!

I work with a (3rd generation) Japanese man, he makes the job SO FUN!

He likes to bring in fruit & veggies from their garden, as well as share his mom's baked goods.

I, of course, love to share, so I bring food & share with him first before others: he chuckles with joy, you should see his face ;-) I get so much happiness from this behavior.



So, we regularly bring things in and share, or just share something we WERE going to keep and eat...



Beautiful custom, I love it.

The Japanese are cool.