My dad worked at a company named NEC, a technology engineering company. A LOT of Japanese people worked there. When I went to work with my dad, I was always snatched and passed around because they loved having a child around. I got food, small toys, trinkets, money, etc. There was one woman who basically stole me for most if the day all the time. I loved her and it was like she was my older sister. When I was too old to go to work with my dad, they still were awesome. I had to fundraise for a Disney trip with the marching band at my school(I was in color guard,) and my dad took my pamphlets with cheesecakes and cookie dough to work and explained. I ended up selling so much stuff, my parents didn't have to pay anything for my trip! I'm 37 now and I will always remember them because they truly loved me like I was their own child.
I’m currently in high school marching band and we just went to Disney this last winter! It was so fun, but I wish we had that awesome fund raiser, would’ve saved a lot of money lol.
Many years ago I worked with a woman from the Philippines. When she went home to visit she brought something back for all of us. She gave me a small clutch purse made out of cream colored shells. That was at least 45 years ago and I still have that beautiful gift! What a generous person she was!
One Christmas, I got all my squad members at the police department, back when I was a cop, those hollow plastic candy canes filled with Hershey kisses. One of the officers literally broke a molar biting into one of the kisses and had to go to the dentist. I never gave gifts at work again
Yes, Philippines have a souvenir culture. They call it Pasalubong, anything small to remind them of the place they visited, bring a little something to share with everyone
Before doing a final exam in university, one of the international students from Japan brought everyone a tiny treat back from his home country. It was so sweet of him to do that :)
Yeah but people often find these things as “kind” or “sweet” instead of trying to pay it forward or pay it back. If you respect the culture then you should recognize how the cultural difference is benefiting you at their expense.
@@mohammadalbakshy1912 no, if you respect their culture, you show up at the birthday party you’re invited to, and bring a gift. If American culture is friends treat celebrant, then pay forward by treating your friends on their birthdays. But I think you commented out of consideration of the one treating, and I appreciate that.
these gifts are called omiyage (お土産)! it’s translated as souvenir in english, but it specifically means the little snacks you bring back for your family, friends, and coworkers after going on vacation
It’s interesting because souvenir is either “to remember” or “a memory” in French. In the US, I think we tend to use it more for something we bring back for ourselves, but it seems like you could argue that, in this case, it’s more an act of remembering your coworkers while on the trip.
Yes, お土産 can be anything. It can be snacks or things. This seems to be a common thing for Asian people to go on holiday and return with souvenirs for family and relatives though.... I don't know if it works in western culture 🤷🏻♀️
Germany has "Mitbringsel" which is essentially the same concept, but it really only applies to your family (possibly friends too). German coworkers would definitely not expect a Mittbringsel from anyone who goes on a trip lol
We’re owned by a Japanese company and whenever they visit our office they always bring Japanese candy/snacks like different flavored Kit Kats…this short explained a lot actually.
I think the long-held Filipino tradition of "pasalubong," (bringing small gifts from the destination back home for family & friends) really is sweet & so endearing!!! 🥰
The idea behind the gifts is that you're showing your gratitude and appreciation to your co-workers who covered for you while you were gone. You don't typically buy individual souvenirs for anyone unless you're close to them. Most people buy a box of inexpensive but fair quality local sweets or snacks and pass them out or set them down in the break room for anyone to take. Train stations and department stores in Japan usually carry box sets for this purpose, so you don't have to go out of your way to get them if you're travelling within Japan. It's actually less stressful than looking for individualized presents for friends and family which require more effort to get.
Thanks for explaining. It really isn't that expensive and it is small and fits in a suitcase. I like bringing stuff for my "close" coworkers, I noticed they never bring anything when they travel but I'm their nternational coworker and I'm used to this. I just like to see them happy
Makes sense. There's some places I've worked where I'd want to bring back laxative chocolate bars in a different package, steal all the toilet paper in the building and leave for the day😈
I’m an American working for a company that was bought by a Japanese corporation. Because of this, our building got a lot of transfers from the Tokyo branch. Also because of this, we were introduced to this cultural difference by our new coworkers as every time they went somewhere, they’d come back with something for every person in the office. It’s really sweet and it’s helped us get to know each person better 😊
It is very generous but that is a ridiculous expectation to put on people. The time off you earn can only be used if you spend more money to buy everyone gifts? Wtf
Think of it like tipping in america (which is a much bigger thing here than other places) Tipping shouldnt be required to partake in a meal, but because of our social customs, we feel pressured too. Its similar@@benjaminbohon3815
@benjaminbohon3815 well that is why you are not japanese. Americans are individualistic and the Japanese are a collective. The only time Americans band together is when we get attacked.
This is tradition, not ridiculous if don't feel like do that, you're OK with empty hands it means you're rude. Don't expect us being same with you. IMPOSSIBLE. We're not farting burping at tables, we don't hanging around shirtless, we don't call elder people by their name, we care about kids after 18, we don't die from obesity or cancer that much, our chocolate is not just burnt sugar but real chocolate, we know what the personal space is, we don't call chips as an actual meal, we don't have to consume liquid acid sugar, we are not whining about COMMON hygienic rules in public ofc our traditions will be different from yours. There are tons of gift places everywhere here for specifically this things and we LOVE checking those places they're cheap they're cute they're healthy they're kind, we do that we want to do that, we don't feel OK or feel like cavemen if we don't bring anything when we even visit our friends. バカ外人
@@benjaminbohon3815...I think you failed to consider that we consider gift giving or food as our "love language". And that coworkers are considered your second or third family. During my University years, students who went on overseas trips or international conferences or competitions would often bring something home with them. Just a bag of (liquor) chocolates or candies for an entire class was enough to make our day. Bonus if you shared several classes. It's not that complicated. We like to share and receive at the same time.
Right? I actively avoid socializing with most of my coworkers, and yet somehow people still get pissy when I leave a job and decline offers to exchange phone numbers or social media contact. Having to gift my coworkers after vacay is a nightmare to think about.
Its awful when its expected for you to bring gifts for them. Tbh I won't give a damn abt all these social dogmas. If they don't pay me to do something outside of work, I wont do whatevr bs they expected me to do. Simple.
@yuhinakagawa5421 yup, cultural differences. But cultural differences aside, I'm sure they have coworkers that they don't like either; coworkers they they don't actually want to buy things for but are forced to, which is highly likely when you learn of their particular cultural working environment and all the suicide associated with it.
@@JohnSmith-hv6ks wow. my dad worked for army television, and he told his ppl," i'm in your windshield when you get here, and i'm in your rearview when you leave". Basically, he's the first one to arrive, and the last one to leave
@@JohnSmith-hv6ks it's not considered rude. I work in Japan before, if you really need to leave earlier than your boss, you can ask for permission. It's basically every single jobs in any country lol. They are more willing to allow you to leave early when you have done your work or quota, than having you stay for nothing.
@@Rinna33 I tried bringing my own cake one year because I love baking 🙄 basically nobody wanted to try it because they were too picky. I hate people who have boring taste in food 😂
In the Philippines, your friends will buy the cake but you have to buy the food. Well, you don't HAVE to, they'll be considerate if they know you're broke or saving up for something else. 😁
Just tell them you’re going to a funeral or a graduation or a baby shower. Maybe you’re just gone because you’re helping someone move across the country.
I actually like that in the US it isn’t expected to do this, because when it does happen, it means the person truly meant it and thought of you. So just to clarify, no this isn’t something required to do, but yes this IS done in the USA as well.
And you don’t have to, that’s called a cultural difference :) if you’d been born and raised in Japan on the other hand you would, and you would think it was normal
@Nadia1989 in regards to working. Idgqf. Do your job, and I'll do mine and be professional. Wth is wrong with you. We're not friends. We're associates, so you dont have a choice but to do your job. Learn the difference.
@sparky6757 understandable. But cultural differences aside, I'm sure they have coworkers that they don't like either; coworkers they they don't actually want to buy things for but are forced to, which is highly likely when you learn of their particular cultural working environment and all the suicide associated with it.
I prefer this attitude to my CHEAP ASS Iranian boss who’d bring back such pitiful, and insulting gifts that she expected to be thanked for. (Note: that was her, not typical Iranian individuals)
@@tablescissors Those types exist everywhere but I don’t think this act would worsen it in a country where that’s the norm- it’s so normal that if you don’t you’re considered rude for burdening them without anything in return.
I'm from Ireland and it's very common to bring back something from holidays, but they're not individual, you might just get a big tub of chocolates to be shared by the whole team. It's definitely noticed if someone doesn't do it!
Yes this I bought a blouse from a lady and she sent one single small Japanese jackfruit hard candy in with it I kinda teared up over it because it seems like such a sweet little thing to do made me feel better when it didn't fit me right the flavor was amazing btw
@@memerthedealer no longer like that in most places You can rarely take a whole week off on one go but take long weekends time to time isn't usually hard to get
@KaotikBOOO I'm not saying you can't take your days off but usually it pisses people off since they got to do more work if your not there it also make you not eligible to be promoted in Japan at least
@@memerthedealer as said not really anymore, I work there You sure still have "old school" companies (ブラック企業) around though but they're not the norm anymore What you're describing sounds more like the US As a rule, if something is okay in the US work environment , it is also okay abroad The US is the country that treats its workers the worst in the OECD
I don't know if I could work in Japan. I ain't trying to bring gifts back for the whole office. They better accept this pack of Walmart cookies and be happy.
As a Japanese, I can confirm that I LOVE getting little gifts for my coworkers. A lot of us don’t do this because we “have to” or feel obligated to, it’s just another cultural difference i guess.
I’m canadian and idk if it’s the same for the philippines but our filipino coworker brought in muffins and coffee on her birthday, which was so so nice of her. I’m disabled because of mental health issues like ptsd but but if I do start working again I think I want to try doing something like that or on a random day because it’s just kind and it perks people up on a drab day I didn’t even have to eat the muffins people were just excited because it was kind. We also did once a month potlucks before covid started I never attended staff parties tho I think if you have to be at work the snacks and stuff that’s cool but coming in on an off day is a bit weird to me unless you’re friends outside of work
What people don’t realize is that yes…you give gifts here and there, but you are also on the receiving end whenever anyone else goes on a trip! It’s a win win! I don’t understand why people get angry about this concept 😂
I would love to bring in little like cupcakes for my birthday but I’m in highschool and there is no way in hell that I could properly carry 100+ serving for everyone in all 8 of my classes and my friends, nor could I afford it. Though it is my last year so college might be a bit more of a possibility.
it’s also fun to see it from a different angle; your culture also instills you that getting gifts for your coworkers is not a thing. i asked my mom who’s been working for 20+ years, and she said you can get gifts for your coworkers if you WANT to. Receiving gifts from them is another big reason here. So if you like exchanging, go for it. And no one will stop you from NOT getting them anything as well!
First time I went to another country, I went to Korea and was worrying over what souvenirs to bring back to my coworkers back home in the Philippines--well, I saw "coworkers" but it really was just a student internship so it's not like I had a lot to spend. My sister told me to stop worrying and seeing it as an obligation, so that's what I did. When they asked me for souvenirs, I just gave them the won coins I didn't spend.
In the Philippines we call those "pasalubong" which is basically gifts for those who will welcome you back after being on a trip. It can be souvenirs like keychains, ref magnet, tote bags and other cultural items or it can be food. It's not required to bring to your co-workers but it's required to bring some to your family because they'll sulk at you if you don't lol
That's Asian culture. For me as asian, I was happy when I saw my friends excited to my little gift. I appreciated to my coworkers that helped me while I'm off
I live in Korea and I didn’t see anyone doing that tho..he has to work on his holidays, he is working as a programmer 🪦 Most people don’t like other people or just don’t consider themselves friends so bringing them a gift is reallt awkward
@@alcookie oww Ok... I think depend of situation where do you live/ work. I have few friends who live in seoul & busan. They brought a lot of things like souvenirs and food for my team in Indonesia. It might be break the culture rules, but that just personal free will.
@@nicolas5583in Asia, the joy of bringing a smile to their coworkers is a gift in itself. It made the workplace a more enjoyable place to be in and not a miserable place to dread in every morning.
We have that culture in the Philippines, too! It’s called bringing back “pasalubong” or souvenirs. I usually just buy cheaper stuff in bulk for my co-workers and splurge a bit extra for friends and family. It might seem like an annoying tradition, but then again you’ll probably be grateful when you’re on the receiving end since it’s a two-way street :)
it's somewhat in india too, but these days we the young generation avoid it, living is getting expensive and we are bringing gifts only for extreme close people
I'm the opposite, I wouldn't mind buying souvenirs for others, but I don't want to receive and eat any "cheaper stuff in bulk" from wherever. Or not even fancier stuff. I choose and buy my own treats thank you very much lol.
You don’t have to buy anything especially if they didn’t know you went somewhere. Anyway, “there’s more happiness in giving than in receiving” so you might even like doing it. Besides, it’s not even that expensive.
That's why you should know how many coworkers you have and buy accordingly. I've bought all my coworkers lunch... back when I worked at a company with only 4 people lol
Not japanese nor working in a japanese company but I've been in my current workplace for 3 years, first two years was spent in another team where everyone just minded their own business and it feels like you're on your own island at work. I was fine with that honestly, since I don't really socialize much. Then I got pulled into another team, everyone is warm and friendly with one another, whenever there's an issue the whole team work together to solve it. It felt like a nice change of pace. We also have a corner of our office where there are tons of snacks from everyone that went on a vacation and came back. So I guess it's not much like the work culture of a company or even the country but the people you work with. If you like your colleagues you'll naturally think of them when getting gifts.
@@slmped8598it's not like you are expected to spend much. A chocolate bar costs like US$1-2 and a box of candy maybe US$5. So, as long as you don't have to feed the whole department but just your team, the costs are reasonable. Plus, your co-workers will do the same and you get to try treats from all around the world.
@@IsleNaK ok? That still doesn’t the fact that I don’t wanna spend my money on random mf I don’t care about tf I’m here to *work* and get my shiet done not talk etc
I'm always grateful to my co-workers for bringing back delicious snacks from the countries they visit and everytime I go overseas I try to bring back stuff as well.
That’s the idea. They are so hyper fixated on their jobs that passing out from exhaustion at your station is not only expected, but even encouraged in some companies
Honestly its like a backhanded compliment at that point. You have to buy all your coworkers gifts either to be seen as poor or that you don't like them....at that point I'm not even going to do it.
Right!! First they get screwed by having to buy all their coworkers gifts. Then they get judged based on how expensive it is. Seems like a lose lose situation to me.
I have a few questions for him about this practice…. Like after spending money to go on a trip and enjoy it while you’re there but then you gotta spend money on co-workers that have nothing to do with nothing becaaaaause 🤔….. And then I’m thinking about the co-workers that you just don’t like because there’s always at least one, two, or three maybe more!😅 I just have a few questions!!!!🫠
Okay that's not how it actually works in Japan, yes you're expected to buy treats/gifts for everyone but that's because your co-workers have to do more job cause you went on a trip... They sometimes have to work overhour etc, and if they want days off as well then they can't take at the same time.
We had a co-worker who visited the KitKat store while in Japan and they brought some unique flavored ones back. Red bean paste was my fave! It was small but very thoughtful
I worked for a Japanese company in Canada and many of the employees would go to Japan for work trips. They would come back with lots of snacks. It was so good !!! Thank you Japan for making it easy to bring back sweets for your coworkers haha
@@Note-DS they still worked overtime and some even worked on the weekends. I'm not exactly sure what hours are like in Japan but my coworkers still worked long hours.
It's good to see that Canadian work culture is more generous and gracious than American work culture. This video has a lot of resentful posts of Americans *hating* the idea of being unofficially obliged to bring back small cheap gifts to coworkers. Sad to see. The corporate leaders there should lead the way here... with their own money.
I think this is in Latin culture, too. So many of my classmates, casual acquaintances, workmates, etc. Have brought me tiny trinkets from their travels. I learned to do the same.
A handful of my friends have brought me back something from a trip-- it's just being kind and trying to share their experience...unless everyone hands out good bottles of Hawaiian vodka.
@@abellabarbie As a latinamerican who's from Mexico I can definetively tell you it's not part of our culture. You only bring gifts if you have a good relationship with your coworkers or if you're trying to gain points with the boss. As far as I know, Hawaii doesn't fit with the latinamerican label 🥴
I've noticed non-Japanese people in Japan always try to romanticize what life in Japan is like without ever mentioning the well known terrible parts that actual native Japanese are far more willing to talk about.
O. M. G ! How many hours are you working? You must be from USA. We work 8 hours + 1 extra hour, for lunch and coffe. 5 days / week. 40 hours worktime / week. I am from Sweden.
Same but i like shareing and using some of my money for others even if I don't know them cuz i like being generous and i like giving peole stuff as long as they are nice.
I’m Swedish and have also lived and worked in Denmark before my disability got the best of me so I had to stop working. In Sweden and Denmark you don’t bring souvenirs to your workmates when you’ve taken a trip (some workplaces might have their own little traditions there, but generally you don’t bring anything) but it is however common to bring cake and/or candy or some other sweet treat for your workmates when it’s your birthday and sometimes when you have your last work day before vacation. In Denmark many of us brought cake or chocolate for such occasions and sometimes someone would just bring cake or chocolates randomly without having anything to celebrate. The people I worked with was a very close knit group of people though and we just liked having a good time and making each other happy and keep morale up, especially if we were under heavy workload either due to upcoming holidays and vacation times, or because the computer system had taken a dump so we had been falling behind for reasons beyond our control. I worked in a medical supply warehouse so it could be rather hectic at times and it was also very important that orders got to the customers on time due to the nature of the items we sent out. If your new pants from Wish are late it’s no big deal, but if you’re diabetic (just as an example) and run out of supplies needed to manage your diabetes, you can be in trouble, same if you have an ostomy and run out of supplies and don’t get it on time (by all means, order on time so you have time for unforeseen circumstances such as the items you need being out of stock at the time) you’d literally be in deep shit as you can’t really just tape a plastic bag onto your stomach with some duct tape. So yeah, we could be under a lot of pressure at times if the system had been down and/or before vacation times and Christmas time, and sometime if there had been some major issues with the production of something so we had to wait for the producer to deliver the items to us first. Cakes and chocolate every now and then definitely kept our spirits up even in the most stressful of times
🙏 Eat more fresh vegetables & fruits , ginger , turmeric with black pepper , beetroots , use natural olive oil , butter or coconut oil for cooking instead of the inflammation triggering processed vegetable oils when doing cooking! Hope you get stronger again soon Rey! 🙏 ÖM ÅMÏ ĎÈWÅ HŘÏH 🌷🌿🍎🍊🌏💜🕊🇸🇪
It's just a token of appreciation and keeps your workmates sweet. Easier with smaller groups, but a few beers or cake for lunch break etc, box of chocolates everyone can share. You don't need to do it every day, but it's the thought and effort that counts.
@@stargazeronesixseven My workplace in Denmark provided a daily fruit basket for every department, so we always had access to fresh fruit at work, along with there being a lot of vegetables available during lunch in the canteen/cafeteria where most employees had their lunch every day. We paid 200 Danish kronor or about €20 per month for lunch, so it was very cheap for us employees and heavily subsidized by the company to ensure everyone had a nutritious lunch, and it wasn’t even a low wage job at all even by Danish standards. The lunch was prepared in house with high quality ingredients and little or no highly processed foods. So yeah, us having the occasional cake (most often home made or from a bakery, not store bought) or the occasional chocolate at work really wasn’t so bad
I spent my childhood in Indonesia and I remember that my parents always dropped by a souvenir shop to buy souvenirs to basically everyone they know, everytime we went on vacation hahahhaa.... so my mum told me not to tell anyone if we go for vacation so she wouldn't need ot buy stuff for them. then my mum spent so long to think of what to give to A's Son and what to give to B's daughter, etc.... But luckily those souvenirs were so cheap back then.... When I moved to SG and started working, I was shocked coz nobody was interested in my souvenirs after I came back from travel. Like some would still accept them, but in Indonesia, they really asked for it like :where is my souvenirs? lol
I worked for a Japanese company and every time we had a Japanese visitor or one of the expats went on a trip to Japan, they’d bring back snacks for everyone! I loved it!
Whenever i see a video of Japan and their trinket stores i cant help but see the amount of single-use waste(plastics,towels,box,etc) they consume just for a tiny material. I mean the presentation looks good but at the cost of single use plastics. Most recent example i can think of is a foreign vlog going into Japan’s 7/11 and making a drink
@@dingusbro925 Individually-wrapped items give that feeling of freshness and cleanness that consumers crave. Buy, yeah, i's a fair critizism that is not lost on the Japanese. I've seen segments on the topic before.
@@dingusbro925I think part of it is that Japan’s recycling system is extremely efficient, so they can use a bunch of plastic for one item. Worked at a Japanese grocery store for years and almost all the products I saw was labeled as recyclable, including glass. Unfortunately it becomes waste when you import those goods to countries with a less sophisticated recycling system like the US 😢
@@turnonstephon they probably would’ve heard of green tea but they’d just laugh and say I bought them moldy bread because this looks enough like moldy bread to make jokes and stuff
I think another way to look at this matter is that you actually like your colleagues and wanna let them get some gifts from the place you travelled to. If you don’t like them, no obligations though
From what I know in Japan work is hugely important, add to that the culture that's based on strict cultural rules and what you get is the world where either follow said rules or become an outcast.
@@mikaNmiyu Japan is an amazing country but their work ethics are disgusting and immoral. To add to what you said there's a reason Japan has one of the highest suicide rates in the world, people are not allowed to have a life and most people my age (early 20s) have absolutely nothing but work and isolation topped with social expectations and family pressure. It is a hell of a country to be born into in a lot of ways.
@@Trinket_Master theres a video of a gameshow/ Big brother program? Where they bring a kid and ask how much he play games, the kid says 2 hours and they start to chastize him for It like he is a weed addict while his parents are called into the room and the mother starts crying, and he starts yelling "ill never play games again. I'll never play Games again." Over and over and over and over as a self imposed punishment. Its absolutely mental "2
My first thought was to build a sort of vacuum that would keep half the cake free from moisture and air, but the cake is too porous to make that realistic. Maybe soaking part in alcohol and then letting it evaporate once the desired half is molded might work, if you want to be evil and trick coworkers into eating a moldy treat. Frankly I think the classic laxative trick is much easier though
I’m from the US and when I went to Japan my coworkers told me to bring things back for them. My boss got the most expensive thing. For obvious reasons. It’s beneficial sometimes.
I see your point, but they'll cut yo ass loose at a heartbeat, so why bother, talking from experience and i can confidently say I was amongst the dependable group, I'm just the wrong color.
@@theonebeing981if you’re so quick to bring up race as the reason you were fired ,It’s more likely you were incompetent and looking for an excuse as to why they didn’t need you .Coming from a black American .
I currently work for a Japanese company in America and yeah we all pretty much do this. I usually get one of those batch of multiple snacks (I don’t put much thought into just grab something random at the airport) for everyone that I leave in the lunchroom but I also like to grab little special gifts/souvenirs for coworkers I actually talk to and am closer with. It can be annoying at times but when it’s vacation seasons there’s always something to snack on in the break room so it has its perks!
Even though many people in the comments don’t seem to like the idea, it’s kinda fun to choose what snacks you wanna share with others. It reflects your personality, like when you choose clothes! It’s not that expensive, either. You only have to buy a bag with 30 pieces in it for 10 dollars. People usually buy souvenirs for themselves, too, and it’s not uncommon to buy two bags of snacks, one for family and yourself and the other for the workplace.
It's fun to see this sort of culture isn't just in Japan either. My mother is Mexican and she would always buy little snacks or trinkets in Mexico to gift to her coworkers when she came back from visiting my grandparents. If she was good friends with someone she would get them a slightly more substantial gift, but yeah. It's to help show appreciation for your coworkers and build a better rapport with them.
@@bitchesihateYou clearly didnt read his comment, anyways. You’re saying this culture is in all of East Asia, not just Japan, and the commenter you replied to is saying that this culture is pretty prevalent all across the world.
My family ain't japanese but my mother have this habit of bringing something for her coworkers whenever she gets off early for matters that doesn't include work. She buys them snacks everytime it happens and I also kind of adopted it from her too. I think it's just her showing how grateful she is for their kind consideration towards her.
How depressing. If you don't like your coworkers or if they don't like you, none of that would matter in Japan. You'll STILL be expected to provide some type of "gift" to that person/individuals. Many Japanese people are harassed and bullied at their jobs, and many say nothing about it "to keep the peace." I wouldn't be liked at work because if we weren't friends or at least cordial with each other, then there's no way I'm buying gifts for you on my personal trip.
The Body Shop in Honolulu used to sell out of every single sample sized item, as quickly as the staff could stock, because the Japanese visitors LOVED the products. I saw customers scoop entire shelves of tiny bottles into their shopping baskets in one swipe before moving onto the next shelf. 😂 Now that’s expert level omiage shopping if I have ever seen it!
In the Philippines, we do that also. We bring some gifts in the office if we go somewhere. Also, if a co-worker has a birthday, we buy a cake. It's fun and keep us bonded.
Yes buy cake for co-worker, not have to buy cake on your own birthday. Like it better bring in gifts to share with coworkers not feel obligated buy each and every co worker a gift. So stressful and takes time, money and enjoyment away from holiday if need to worry about that. I traveled a lot for a period of time and bought gifts for my good friends children. No obligation, I wanted to. Wanted to share with them in some small way culture and/or excitement of seeing other new places.
I live in the U.S. and my coworkers and I do stuff like this all the time. We buy donuts, other sweets, birthday cakes, or snacks for each other like once a week. Some customers are also nice enough to buy us snacks from time to time. We're not obligated to do this stuff, of course, we just like to.
100%! Friendliness toward coworkers definitively exists in the U.S., but it matters where you work. The Americans who dislike their coworkers are also usually the ones who hate their jobs. If you're mistreated and underpaid, of course you won't like anyone!
@xdumway it doesn't really matter though. I think they're just saying that friendliness and warmth towards coworkers exists in the U.S., even if it's in different forms. It's in a similar vein, that's all.
@@nekoshima1161 Sometimes, if everyone hates their job, it creates a weird paradox where you get along really well with your coworkers because you're all united against the woes of the workplace. My previous job had some of the best workplace relationships I ever had even through it was a miserable job in an incompetently run company. Everyone was united against the owner, and there was a lot of inside jokes, banter, and general friendliness because of it. I'm now working for a much larger company that has much more structure and defined roles. It runs much more efficiently, but the relationships are a lot worse because everyone's trying to ladder-climb overtop of each other. The last job was so disorganized that there was no ladder to be climbed.
I've worked with two different japanese companies before.. whenever we have guests from japan HQ, they always bring cookies, sweets, chocolate, cake from japan..❤❤
Note: its also normal to drink with your coworkers and boss after hours iirc, which kinda says to me they hang out more / hate each other less than we do.
Yes, but you're expected to get plastered or you're not a team player and won't have a chance at promotions. You can't just show up; you have to drink. Opting out of out of hours get togethers isn't really an option: which is frustrating sometimes.
Tch. Everyone is not social, self cented an a shitty immature critic. Average leolle of your kind are the worst. Can't say my country is a lot better but at least not everyone's running around with guns freely. Getting drugged and kidnapped at the next corner or their legs sliced because psychopaths hide under the car, or film everyone and just being extremely disrespectful and giving no shit to privacy at all
My supervisor and I laughed at a Facebook post from an opposing shift hanging out. We looked at one another and mutually agreed on “I love working with you, but I’m not talking to you or hanging out with you outside of work” lol
French foodie here : this is a financier. It's a sort of tiny sweet cake with a rarely fuckupable both melty and crumbly texture, that is usually nutty-flavored like pistacchio or almond, but can also be made nutless with its natural, rich, sweet flavor, and it's by far one of the most famous and delicious french pastries. I don't know how it tastes like with ocha, but I'm definitely hooked on the idea !!
it’s worse in Indonesia, not only buying gift for coworkers but also for all of our BIG family (including our grandparents, uncle, aunt, not to mention our friends) 😭 it took a lot of our holiday budget
nah, i only buy gifts for my family or close friends who also gave me something from their trips only (you know, if someone gave me something i'll pay it back and bring them something too) and i'll tell the others when they ask for some souvenirs "i dont have the time to stroll around, the schedule is so packed" lmao
It’s a social culture in Indonesia as well! We call it “oleh-oleh’. we give souvenirs to co-works, friends, family, neighbor or even landlord (if we’re close enough)
all my coworkers would think i hate them bc i refuse to buy shit for them...at least they'd be right bc anyone who expects me to stress over this on vacation i do hate
Same. I get Americans are entitled, but it's entitled af to think you have a right to a random coworker's hard earned money. Shytt, I might be broke AND hate my coworkers. 🤣🤣🤣🤣
I'm friendly enough with my coworkers. I'll actually have a good time chatting to them in the office but I take lunch alone and go for a walk because it helps me focus in the afternoon. I don't like mixing work and non-work life though. It's not a hatred of people at work or my job but my job is a challenging one and it's very easy to burn out in my field. Keeping things as separate as possible and keeping my alone time "sacred" is all really important for my mental well-being. I don't think I'd cope with living in Japan.
My Colombian wife brings back insane amounts of gifts and snacks for her friends, fellow teachers, and students. She is extremely generous. Americans might bring back a little something, but nit a spare suitcase full!
This is one Japanese workplace norm I kind of wish we did in the US. It's just nice to share things with people, man. I feel like I'd be happier at work if every time a coworker took PTO I got a little treat out of it
My coworker went on a cruise and brought back things for everyone. I got a cool little leather wrapped shot glass, which I use as a small flower vase. So thoughtful of her ❤
It’s the same in every workplace I’ve been in here in the U.K. I think it’s pretty normal to get some kind of bulk item like chocolates or sweets and leave them in the kitchen with a note. There’s no judgement if you don’t, but it’s just a nice thing if you can - adds a little pick-me-up to everyone’s day. Of course, this only works for relatively small working groups who share a break space like this.
Nah there's always room in an office for a cake, or a tub of celebrations. I used to work in a building designed around long corridors with offices on one side, and labs on the other. At one point we went from having cozy little offices to having big,open plan offices. everyone hated it but it didn't stop the cakes and sweetmeats
I live in the UK, and my office also has the culture of bringing snack back when you go abroad. But I don't think it's a UK thing (never heard anyone else here who does this). I think it's a my office thing lol I've done it a few times myself, I've brought snacks from my home country Portugal, Italy, France, Greece and Poland. It's fun to bring back something because I also get to eat it. And then it's lovely to eat whatever my colleagues bring back as well!
@@vincedibona4687 I suppose millions of people just hate life then ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (sarcasm) Look, I don’t necessarily agree with this either, but as another comment highlights, the gift giving is meant to show gratitude to your coworkers for covering for you at work while you’re gone. You’re not expected to spend a lot of effort to get ppl stuff, hence the specialized stores that have multiple individual servings of something small. It’s not as bad as it sounds, although I suppose ppl who hate their coworkers may see it as such.
@@cameronschyuder9034 that just makes it sound even dumber, like its their job they get paid for it, why should you ever feel gratefull for them doing their job while your on vacation, it's one thing if your out sick or something and your friends with your coworkers, but not on vacation
Filipinos (and probably others) has the more relaxed version of these called "pasalubong". You can just buy cheap stuff, like big packs of meiji chocolate, to share to your workmates,. It makes telling them about your trip a little smoother (I mean it kinda sense that you're at least chewing on free snacks while your coworker goes off about Japan).
@@choux7746 exactly. I'm not sure if the anti-souvenir sentiment is strictly American, because a few cheap chocolates doesn't sound bad. It can only be as expensive and annoying if you make it so.
@@hurricaneb6243 No a lot of us actually do it, but we arent obligated to. Most people here are just ungrateful or suck so none of us do it, but we do sometimes if you scroll through the comments.
I'm from colombia, my coworkers (from different work places) and I, would usually bring little souvenirs to the others when we travel, but it's out of appreciation, because we like each other, and since it's something done out of goodwill, we don't judge if someone is "broke" or not depending on how much it costed. We just appreciate it even if its a keychain or a candy because it means that they thought about us and that is good enough
My mother used to work with a woman from Japan. She would go back to visit her family 2-3 times a year, and everytime she came back to the US, she did just this -- buy little Japanese souvenirs and chotskies for all her coworkers, and if the coworkers had young kids, she got gifts for them, too. I got so many random things: food, trinkets, statues, medallions, random personal/household stuff. Even though the stuff was small and inexpensive, I always thought it was so cool to be able to hold and enjoy these little tokens from a country I'd likely never step foot in.
Sounds so cool!! That’s why Japanese probably do this!! Because it’s fun to get thing from other places!! The far away the place the more exotic the food or souvenir!
If the cake is indeed France inspired, it looks a lot like a financier. The basic is a small almond aand butter cake, with sometimes an additional flavour (jam filling or whatever).
When you like your job and coworkers enough, you would do this anyway. I've brought snacks or treats to work. It's not to receive anything in return, just to do something nice.
Even in Saudi Arabia where I'm born, we bring sweet in our personal occasions, like engaged, had a baby, and so on. I even used to bring sweets for our floor on Eids and keep it at the reception for anyone who enters to take. Same thing at a girl only school I worked at, teachers at our teachers room used to bring something the only staff days. People here love social connection and making sweet moments with others.
At my job, people only leave stuff in the break room for others when they either end up hating it or just bought too much for themselves and it will go bad soon (ex: someone left like half a watermelon for everyone one time). I have wrecked taste buds from being a gluten free vegan so usually I love all the weird snacks that other people say are gross, so it's a win for me whenever it's something I'm actually able to eat lol.
Exactly, what’s the big deal? A lot of those treat boxes and souvenirs don’t really cost more than a dollar or two in Japanese currency. I guess American treats generally cost more than a dollar so they see it as a big waste?
@@gothicMCRgirl No but the fact that you have to somehow bring those treats back from another country, assuming you would even have enough luggage space. Extra luggage is hella expensive when traveling abroad and no one wants to pay for that just for some cheap snacks.
@@gothicMCRgirl yeah treats here in the US are usually more than a couple dollars, and it can add up if you're buying for dozens of coworkers. Everything is very expensive where I live in America, so the thought of spending extra money is off-putting to a lot of people here
My last job, I worked with over 500 people. Over 100 in my department alone. I was pulled over to help in each department though. I would never be able to meet that demand...with cash or suitcase space.
As a Canadian, every place I’ve worked at we’ve boughten gifts for each other, my old boss would buy us dinner, and let us eat or drink basically anything on the menu, at my co-op we’d buy each other Starbucks randomly, and at my latest job we’d order food, bring donuts, buy birthday gifts etc, it really helps the workplace to feel more.. accepting and friendly towards each other, of course we never made anyone feel obligated to buy things, it was all optional, but even if you didn’t, you’d still get the rewards of the snacks, because for us it’s not a respect thing or a mandatory thing, we just really enjoyed each others company
