Many department stores have plunged into the annual year-end gift blitz, but due to the spread of the novel coronavirus and the subsequent self-restraint on travel, many stores have also begun producing heartier gifts for families and friends.
Many stores in Osaka Prefecture are offering reasonably priced products that can be purchased from 1,000 yen. Kintetsu Department Store Main Store Abeno Harukas, which started accepting reservations on Oct. 10, has prepared products such as sembei rice crackers and osuimono Japanese transparent soup with Kyo-yasai (vegetables indigenous to Kyoto). A spokesperson at the store said, "There are increasing needs to thank friends [or relatives] who are close but remote."
"It is difficult to get together in large numbers because of the pandemic," a 57 year-old woman from Habikino, who was choosing gifts for her relatives, said. "I want to give something for which the recipients don't have to feel pressured into offering something in return."
A 59 year-old female company employee from the city of Fujiidera who selected gourmet delicacies as a reward for her hard work said, "I wanted to buy something expensive that I wouldn't normally eat while spending the New Year's holiday at home."
The number of people who plan to stay at home instead of travelling or dining out is expected to surge. Daimaru Matsuzakaya department stores and Takashimaya department store are stepping up efforts to offer products that allow customers to enjoy dishes and sweets from famous restaurants at home. NH Foods Ltd. has launched a gift package of "Schau Essen," a popular sausage lineup normally limited to supermarkets, direct to consumers for the first time.
According to Yano Research Institute Ltd., the size of the year-end gift market in 2020 is expected to hit 870 billion yen, a 10% drop compared to 2015. This figure reflects a decline in the amount of gifts for formality presented to senior colleagues and business partners, among others. On the other hand, sales of casual gifts such as those for Mother's Day and Father's Day have been edging up, and the overall casual gift-giving market is forecast to rise by 10% to 10.9 trillion yen this year.
In response to novel coronavirus measures, year-end oseibo gifts in Japan are heartier than usual, especially for friends or relatives.
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