We sold our company to a Japanese company two years ago. The first New Years after the sale they gifted me a large calendar with pictures of Japanese women. They are fully clothed and not at all scandalous but I thought it was unprofessional and sexist. They did it again this year and I really want to gift them the male equivalent of that. Fully clothed male calendar. They are all very nice people but I want to make it a point that this gift is very sexist. Would this make me an asshole? Should I instead just tell them I don’t feel it is appropriate?
https://www.reddit.com/r/japan/comments/10369wf/would_i_be_an_asshole_if_i_gifted_a_japanese/
9 comments
Is it a cultural norm to give such a gift?
I’m just a lurker but if i remember correctly, sending back a similar gift to someone is like saying it’s over between us.
An asshole? Maybe not but it could come across as incredibly passive-aggressive if anyone picks up on why you’re doing it.
You’re offended because there are no men in the calendar?
Yes, that would be an asshole thing to do. You’re not going to change the social or professional culture there, so your best way forward is to ignore it and move on.
A calendar is sexist because of a few pics of women? What a time to be alive… sigh
If you make money off of the relationship, I would play it safe. Japanese gifting norms are a minefield.
So it’s because of people like you that the good’ole workshop calendars are going extinct.
Whining about a present makes you an AH anyway.
If you don’t like it, just put it on the resting room table for anyone to take it. You don’t see it any more, Japanese partners are happy to have sent you a present as a Japanese business tradition and someone got a nice calendar. Triple win!
It is common in Japan and many countries to put beautiful women to embellish things, people like to see beautiful persons, just look at the beer ads displayed in izakayas for example, women in kimono just look beautiful.
Your workplace sounds kind of toxic lol