What do you think of the meticulous way that gifts are wrapped in department stores and other high-end retail outlets in Japan?

MOTTAINAI !

A waste of time and money

MOTTAINAI !

Often it won't be just the wrapping, the gift itself will be mere a ritual, saying thank you for something. There is far too much ritual gift giving in Japan. Some of it will just be the result of commercialism during better economic times, and not necessarily "Japanese culture".

Totally over the top.

And don't get me started on the tatemae / non-heartful ritual gift giving.

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It's hangover from the old tradition of gift presentation.

It's a waste of time, energy, and paper ( or other wrpa products).

Move on, Japan !

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It's not so much the wrapping - we all present gifts nicely - but the contents, which are often wrapped and individually wrapped in plastic to a ridiculous excess, often with each individually-wrapped containing one of those plastic packs of silica. Stop that.

Like so much of Japanese-style customer service, it is surplus to requirements.