Okurimono Japan
Ukiyo-e style illustration: a samurai formally presents a red gift box with a paper price tag dangling from its ribbon; the recipient stares at the tag, both faces calm.
Illustration: Okurimono Japan

Gift Truths No.6

The price tag stays on until the exact moment they see it.

Check the bottom of the box. Then check the ribbon. Then check the bottom of the box again.

Where this came from

The article behind it.

Buying guideSep 16, 2026

Japanese Stocking Stuffers Under $40, and How to Make Shipping from Japan Worth It

Four small Japanese gifts under $40 — two plain Casios, a maki-e ballpoint and a Shimano fishing knife — and the honest catch: on a $20 gift, shipping from Japan can cost as much as the gift. How to get around it.

The gift

The ones I’d actually send.