The omiyage (gift) culture is more than just an act of giving a souvenir. In a country where people do not often communicate directly or express feelings, gift-giving is used to show love and appreciation.
Gift to coworkers after a trip
Omiyage can be given to friends, coworkers, and neighbors, generally after a trip or a vacation. It is especially important to give gifts in a workplace setting, as a way to thank teammates for the work that had to be taken over while on vacation. It shows how much a person appreciates team members and coworkers for support and their hard work.
It is fair to say that one of the biggest events on a vacation is to pick suitable and appropriate omiyage for the team, or sometimes the whole office. It is easy to find reasonably priced omiyage shops, especially in touristy locations. Generally, people tend to pick sweet snacks that are individually wrapped so that it is easy to share among coworkers.
It is not rare to see an office kitchen table filled with omiyage unique to people’s vacation spots, especially after major holidays like the New Years, Obon, and Golden Week. Not only is it a great conversation starter, but it also gives an impression that a person cares about work and is serious about maintaining good relationships with coworkers. The power of omiyage should not be underestimated, especially in a workplace setting.
Gift when visiting people’s homes
It is a nice gesture to bring a small gift when visiting people’s homes, regardless of how close you are to the person. Generally speaking, people in Tokyo are not very big on spending time at the homes of new friends as they would have to kiwotsukau (pay careful attention to guests/hosts), which isn't relaxing. Japanese people (especially those who grew up in big cities like Tokyo) tend to invite people to their place only if they are close, or can be trusted. If you are invited to someone's home, this is a positive sign. On a side note, it can be seen as too informal or even a bit rude to show up at people’s places unannounced.
The gift you bring when invited to people’s places greatly differs depending on the relationship you have and how close you are with the person, but generally, people would bring something to snack on for around 2000-3000 yen.
Gift for new neighbors
As soon as you've settled into a new place, it is important to greet neighbors with a small gift within the first week. As Japanese people favor polite, well-mannered, and quiet neighbors, it is especially a smart idea to greet neighbors with a gift if you have babies or small kids.
There are no particular rules on which neighbors to gift to or what to gift. Generally, people will greet just the neighbors who live next door to them or all neighbors on the same floor of their apartment. The gift should not be anything expensive, as it would pressure the neighbors to give a gift in return. It can be anything from a snack to cups or cutleries (something practical). Introduce yourself with a gift and tell them you will be living next door. The small act of kindness will go a long way in Japanese communities.