Okurimono Japan
Ukiyo-e style illustration: a man in a navy kimono sits at a low table, solemnly holding a cut-glass tumbler up to the light; beside him a wooden box holds four glasses and one empty slot, with a red ribbon lying on the table.
Illustration: Okurimono Japan

Gift Truths No.8

In Japan, a set of four is quietly avoided. "Shi" — four — sounds like the word for death. Glasses come in twos and fives.

Not everyone minds, but many Japanese givers avoid sets of four. A pair for a couple, five for a household that entertains — and nobody has to explain anything.

Where this came from

The article behind it.

Buying guideSep 13, 2026

Edo Kiriko Gifts by Occasion (2026): What to Give for a Wedding, an Anniversary, a 60th Birthday or a Retirement

Matching Edo Kiriko cut glass by Kagami Crystal to the occasion: a pair of sake cups for a wedding, a black cup and carafe for an anniversary, a chrysanthemum-pattern glass for a 60th birthday, a rock glass for a retirement, and a small tumbler for a thank-you. The patterns' traditional associations, the box, and how to order from Japan.

The gift

The ones I’d actually send.