Some people say that Japan has a gift giving culture, and I have to agree. Today I'd like to write about a part of that tradition called oseibo.

At the end of the year, we send gifts to people whom we want to thank. For example, every year in this season, I give a gift to my painting teacher. When my husband's parents were still alive, my parents and his parents exchanged gifts with each other. This kind of gift-giving becomes a mutual obligation, so my husband and I don't do it with our daughter's parents-in-law. Once you start gifting something, you must do this every year, so you need to concern whom you should do this.

Before my husband retired from his job, we used to receive lots of gifts from his colleagues. We still receive some.

This year we received many apples and rice crackers.

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