Business Card Briefcases

Returning to Tokyo, I spent the day popping in and out of stations, trying to get a feel both for the places and the means of transit. I purchased some speckled paper and ribbon with which to try my hand at wrapping presents.
I had long been aware of the tradition of gift giving in Japan. Visitors often gave some small token of appreciation – a culinary treat, a pen, a logo-branded product. The U.S. equivalent would have been golf balls with a company name. But the Japanese versions were a bit more subtle and certainly more thoughtfully presented.
I had considered what to bring to Itochu, asking Noriyuki about it. “Well, I don’t think you are really expected to bring anything,” he said. “You are an employee, not really a guest.”
“Yes, I know that. But as a first impression, I think it might help. In a way, they are my clients for the American products and companies I introduce.”
“You can bring something if you want to, but I don’t think it is necessary. Maybe you can buy some sweet cakes at the airport before your plane leaves,” he suggested. I had noted the decorative tins of wasabi crackers and cakes that Itochu visitors brought to the ITI office. That was easy, but not distinctive. I wanted something else.
In my publishing days, I’d come across an interesting item at the San Francisco Gift Show. It was a business card holder in the form of a very small briefcase. Two latches worked independently to open it. Inside, one could load ten or so business cards. The presentation of these paper testaments was such a structured formality in Japan. Wouldn’t it be an interesting curiosity to include the briefcase in the offering dance? Back at the hotel, I wrapped my little presents for the following day.

In a small shop, I was surprised to see the very same business card briefcases I thought I was introducing to the culture. If retail distribution had hit Tokyo, I would have guessed them to be wildly popular. Yet I had never seen any in use. Perhaps there was a solemnity that would not brook the introduction of a gadget in the card exchange. Another ritual, another mystery.