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Have your gifts wrapped the Japanese way

Giving gifts is a way of communicating respect, friendship and appreciation. Proper gift-wrapping can enhance the beauty and value of your present.

Kikyo, a shop in Jumeirah Plaza which originally specialised in Japanese sweets, gives customers the added service and opportunity to customise the way they dress gifts.

"Tsutsumi, the art of gift-wrapping, is an important Japanese tradition," explains Makiko Yagi, sales manager of Kikyo, who is a Japanese.

"In our culture, it is considered impolite to carry an unwrapped gift. Kikyo is a reflection of Japanese culture."

At the shop, customers can choose from 40 different kinds of wrapping paper, which normally have the texture of organza and other fabrics. The paper is a Japanese speciality and is exclusively imported from the land of the rising sun.

It is generally available in pleasant colours of spring-pink, yellow, lilac, lime green and sky blue. Solid colours such as dark green and royal blue are also offered for those who prefer flamboyance.

If there is a dream combination that is currently unavailable, customers can tell any one of the store staff and it will be bought for them in two to three days.

Customers can also choose to adorn their presents with exotic Japanese ribbons and accessories such as flowers, leaves and dolls.

Kikyo also has attractive paper bags in which to put presents. These bags are more appropriate for chocolates and cookies, as they are very delicate.

"This paper is very fragile," said Yagi. The shop can, however, create stronger bags with thicker lining for heavier gifts. "We do mass gift decoration for hotels and weddings," Yagi stated.

"Gold is the favourite colour when it comes to weddings or Eid gifts. Red is the colour for Valentine's Day gifts, pink for the birth of a girl and blue for a baby boy."

Whatever your favourite colour, Kikyo will make sure that you have it. And you are not even obliged to buy a gift from the shop.

So next time you are taking a gift for a friend, make it special by getting it wrapped at Kikyo.
Wrapping can cost anywhere between Dh5 and Dh100, depending on your choice of paper and accessories.