Omiyage culture in Japan

     When I think of what I have an interest among Japanese culture, the first thing comes up in my mind is Omiyage which means suvenior in Japanese. Since I came to Japan, I have found it interest that Japanese people love suvenior. I've been taking Japanese language classes and I was in beginner level in last spring semester. Yet, curiously, "Omiyage" was on the vocabulary list so I was wondering why that was on the list because I thought.  it didn't seem to be an important word for the beginner level. But, since then, I got to understand why we had to learn that word. People use this word many times. I also have had many friends giving omiyage to me. Many of my Japanese friends are from different prefectures so when they went to their home town for a holiday or weekend, they bought some omiyage from their town. Mostly, what they give me is sweets. Thus, so far, I have tried various sweets from different prepectures.  It seems like people always buy omiyage whenever they go somewhere. It doesn't need to be tourist attractions.   Every prefectures has their own speical sweets.

     I took these two pictures in the street which is in front of Fushimiinari. Fushimiinari is shrine which is located in Kyoto. It is believed that It is believed that foxes are regared of messenger so many fox-shaped omiyage was being sold in this area. And besides, many Yatsuhashi was also being sold. It is one of the best known famous regional products of Kyoto. There were many kinds of them such as green tea, red bean, cinammon and banana. In almost all store, customers can try free-sample of them. People who visit Kyoto buy Yatsuhashi as their omiyage.

I stayed in Korea during this summer vacation and my Japanese friend visited me. She brought this as Omiyage. I was impressed by that she brought omiyage even to Korea. I got the feel like Omiyage is their common culture.

Also, I got omiyage from Tokyo. I got three Tokyo tower key rings from different friends after they visited Tokyo. Since Tokyo tower is considered as a symbol of this city, many people buy Tokyotower omiyage. And, I also got "Tokyo banana" sweets from another friend. "Tokyo banana" is one of famious sweets of this region. I also got "Hiyoko" from Tokyo. It is a product of the Tokyo souvenir. It looks like a baby bird and the meaning of "Hiyoko" is chick in Japanese. Both were really delicous.

This website has a short information about "Hiyoko"

http://www.japansf.net/pe_hiyoko.html

These two are what I bought from Universal studio in Japan. Both are cookies. As tourist sites are surrounded by many suvenior stores, in side of Universal studio, they have sereval suvenior stores and they are huge. I've been to Universal studio in Florida. Of course, they have suvenior of characters but they didn't have this big of suvenior stores. What makes the suvenior store special in Japan is many kinds of sweets. They have shapes like character or the packages of them are character. Since I never expect someone who visits amusement park to bring any sweets as a suvenior, it was interesting to watch people buying many omiyage there. And I, myself bought them to give friends. This was also interesting that I was getting used to it.

Especially, the region called Uji has many food where the ingredients are green-tea. When I visited there, the street was like full of Omiyage shops. Everything was green tea and something related with tea. I bought one package of green-tea.

These two are Yatsuhashi which I said ealier. First one, I bought this in Kiyomizudera in Kyoto to give my friends. On the way to go Kiyomizudera also has many suvenior shops. In front of store, many people were eating samples so I tried that one and it was really delicious so I bought it. Second one is Yatsuhashi flavor Kitkat. Not like other contries, Japan has many kinds of flavor of Kitkat. Particular flavors are being sold only in particular regions. For example, this "Yatsuhashi flavor" is only available in Kyoto.

This is the map of regional flavor of kitkat from the web site of nestle company in Japan.

I think it's a great marketing strategy using Japanese "Omiyage" culture.

     These are what I got from my friend who visited Hokkaido recently. It is also famous one in Hokkaido. "Omiyage culture" is very interesting because it shows one of the way Japanese people interact with each other so I think it is very friendly culture.