Day Gifts Cultural Comparative Study

As a common sight of cultural phenomenon of human society, the behavior of presenting each other with gifts is an important communication method of daily association among human beings. Besides, as one of the social customs of the current word, presenting each other with gifts among people plays significant role in emotions communication, relationship coordination and buddy up to each other. Thus, through the research on the presenting culture, we can grasp and understand clearly the code of conduct of maintaining the relationship among people under certain social environment or the diversities of psychology and consciousness under social environment of different cultures.Both Chinese people and Japanese people treasure interpersonal relationship, they are all fond of pulling closer the relationship by presenting gifts to each other to convey the emotions. This article makes an investigation on the similarities and differences of the gifts presenting culture of China and Japan and analyzes the social culture and national mentality that are concealed behind. When investigating the gifts presenting culture of the two countries, with the purpose of more clear understanding the real status of the gifts presenting of the people from the two countries, the author takes reference of the relevant data collected by"JTB journey"and the content included in the webpage of http://www.momonga.org/chz/manners/ and re-sorts them out by combining some research that was made previously and the understanding of the cultures of China and Japan. These data has been analyzed to assist to draw the conclusion of the thesis. Besides, in the discussion on the details that the people of both countries stress when presenting gifts to each other, this thesis makes a relatively subtle derision and analysis with the hope to grasp more accurately the difference of gifts presenting culture starting from the aspect of details.In the following discussion, when reserving the reason for the emergence of the different gifts presenting culture of China and Japan, this article presents a analysis proceeding from the difference of the national consciousness by combining the concepts e.g."purpose of gifts presenting of people form China and Japan","Chinese lay stress on the sensibilities, while Japanese attach importance to the righteousness"and"individuality and collectivity in the gifts presenting culture of Chinese and Japanese".As well known by everybody, no mater in China or Japan, the gifts presenting has already emerged in the lives of the people as a kind of conduct way of common practice. However the reasons and purposes for gifts presenting and returning are not completely the same. In Japan, due to the reason of"righteousness", the gifts presenting and retuning are repeated constantly. While, in China, more likely out of the consideration of"sensibilities", people choose to maintain the interpersonal sentiment by presenting gifts to each other. Besides, in Japan, as a member of a collective group, they are costumed to present some keepsakes to their friends or colleagues after returning from whether a business trip or a journey. This can be regarded indubitably a conduct of"collectivity". Although Chinese have also such usual practice, there exists a great difference in terms of form of expression and gifts selection.