“Presentation matters”

We’re told not to judge a book by its cover. But my slapdash gift-wrapping at Christmas raises few expectations.

Not so the Japanese. How a gift is presented is considered of paramount importance.

Our daughter-in-law recently returned to Japan bearing gifts. She told us the recipients particularly treasured the department store bags the presents came in. Could we send more over?

Any Japanese department store will generally gift-wrap your purchase free of charge. After a few deft, razor-sharp folds, your gift, however modest, will look the part.

Once I remember queuing at a busy sales counter. All the assistants were tied up. Up steps the manager and, without batting an eyelid, gift-wraps my purchase with all the customary finesse.

According to my wife, every member of staff undergoes the same initial training on joining a company. No one feels it is beneath them to help out when short-handed.

Paper was first imported from China in the 7th century. The Japanese subsequently developed washi paper, later the standard in the Heian period. First featuring in religious ceremonies, paper soon became the norm for wrapping gifts, especially money.

The tradition persists today. Bank notes are traditionally given for births, marriages and funerals, folded neatly in the appropriate wrapper.

Origami – literally folding paper – is a national art form. Every Japanese child learns the basics at kindergarten.

The skill extends beyond paper. Kimonos are folded precisely along the seams. The hakama, with its complex pleating, demands careful study. Folded correctly, the garments do not require ironing and last longer.

It is easy to extrapolate. Look at most aspects of Japanese life, from the tended gardens, to flower arrangement, to the artistic presentation of a Japanese meal. It is a country where appearances count.

As I’m constantly reminded.