# Are there traditional Japanese wedding gifts? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 30, 2004, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-traditional-japanese-wedding-gifts/252906 "2004-06-30T17:01:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-traditional-japanese-wedding-gifts/252906/1 "2004-06-30T17:01:50Z")
My friends are getting married in a couple of weeks and the wedding is going to have a distinct Japanese feel to it. Michelle is half Japanese and James isn’t, but he is really into Japanese culture, and they are going to Japan for their honeymoon. I asked Michelle if she would like some fancy chopsticks, but didn’t get a clear answer, so I was wondering what sort of things should I be looking for? Hopefully, it would be something easy to find in the US, as time is short and I don’t think I could order anything from Japan. FTR, I got Michelle an Okay Sake set for Christmas a couple of years ago. ---
**Author:** ![majormajormajor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@majormajormajor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/majormajormajor)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-traditional-japanese-wedding-gifts/252906/2 "2004-06-30T19:13:22Z")
the names sugi and pak wouldn’t happen to ring a bell would they? i knew a couple way back that matched your descriptions. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2004, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-traditional-japanese-wedding-gifts/252906/3 "2004-07-01T04:42:06Z")
Bump. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2004, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-traditional-japanese-wedding-gifts/252906/4 "2004-07-01T07:38:38Z")
Money. Seriously, that’s really the only gift one is supposed to give at a Japanese wedding. The gifts that the bride and groom give the guests, on the other hand, are usually food- or home-oriented (I received canned mushrooms and cooking oil, but I’ve seen wedding catalogs that include items like dishes, towels, blankets and some really yummy-looking imported foods). Funerals work pretty much the same way. That’s not much fun, though, and not really what you’re asking, so I guess for Japan-themed wedding gifts a nice bowl-and-chopstick set for two would make a nice present, and would be something they could actually use. ---
**Author:** ![karomon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@karomon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/karomon)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2004, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-traditional-japanese-wedding-gifts/252906/5 "2004-07-01T12:00:57Z")
What about a really nice Zojirushi ricemaker and/or steamer? I see from their website ( [http://www.zojirushi.com](http://www.zojirushi.com) ) that they also carry mochi-making machines. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2004, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-traditional-japanese-wedding-gifts/252906/6 "2004-07-01T15:58:28Z")
I know that Michelle already has a rice cooker, personally I found that the stuff at the edges were overcooked and the stuff in the middle was undercooked. I’ve always had better luck with a pot of boiling water. Michelle even has one of those electric hot water pots. I think that I’m going to hold off and when I see something that I think will be perfect, I’ll just get it after the fact. ---
**Author:** ![Hyperelastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Hyperelastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hyperelastic)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2004, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-traditional-japanese-wedding-gifts/252906/7 "2004-07-01T17:21:31Z")
Just don’t give them four of anything. Four is the Number of Death in Japan.