Gifts

These are objects made by a small number of people and chosen by hand, which is most of what makes them worth giving. What follows is what to send, and one thing about international parcels that nobody mentions until it is too late.

The short answer: the Starter Set at $150 is the matcha gift set that goes wrong least often, because it works on its own and needs nothing bought afterwards. Below that, incense asks nothing of the person receiving it. Above that, the Complete Tea Set is a considered gift rather than a bigger one.

What to send

Gift wrapping

Wrapping is $20 and is charged once for the whole order rather than per item, so add it at most once. It includes a handwritten card, and you can ask for prices to be left out of the parcel. Both are set in the cart rather than on the product page, for the same reason: they belong to the order, not to the object.

One thing I cannot leave out of the parcel. The customs declaration on the outside always carries a value, because declaring it accurately is not optional and I will not under-declare. The invoice inside can omit prices; the label outside cannot.

The awkward part, said plainly

If you send this to the United States, nothing will be asked for at the door. We pay the import duty before the parcel leaves Tokyo, so the person receiving it is not handed a bill. Outside the United States, duty is still collected on delivery where a country charges it. For a parcel to yourself that is a mild annoyance. For a present it is genuinely awkward, and it is the reason I would rather tell you now than have you find out from a message from your friend.

Into the United States duty applies at any value since the de minimis exemption ended, and we pay it for you — Japan Post now requires the sender to. Elsewhere it depends on the country and the amount, and it falls to the person receiving the parcel. The full explanation is on Shipping & Duties.

If the gift is going to someone in the same country as you, none of this applies.

Timing

Orders are dispatched within five business days (Monday to Friday in Japan, excluding Japanese public holidays), and typical delivery is 7 to 14 days. Customs inspection can add about a week and is outside anyone's control. For anything that has to arrive on a particular day, count backwards four weeks for Standard airmail, or two and a half for Express. For Christmas, order by 27 November for Standard airmail, or by 8 December for Express (EMS). Later than that and it may still arrive, but it stops being something I can promise, and a present that turns up in January is not the same present. Shipping is charged by weight and shown at checkout.

Buying for someone who already drinks tea

Most guides to gifts for tea lovers assume the person owns nothing. If they already make matcha, the useful presents are the ones they would not buy for themselves, and there are only three.

A better whisk than the one in their starter set. Almost everyone begins with whatever came in the box and keeps it until it snaps. A hundred-tine Takayama chasen at $89 is the single upgrade they will notice in the bowl the first morning.

A sifter. The least glamorous tool and the one most people skip. It costs $30 and it fixes the lumps they have quietly been living with.

Incense, if they keep tea and quiet in the same part of the day. It asks nothing of them and runs out, which is the mark of a good repeat present.

What not to give. A second bowl, unless you know they want one. Bowls are personal, they take up space, and someone who practices already has the one they reach for.

Sending a Japanese tea gift abroad

A japanese tea gift sent from Japan arrives with two things a domestic present does not: a customs label with a declared value on the outside, and a delivery window measured in weeks rather than days. Both are handled above — prices can be left out of the parcel, and the timing section says how far ahead to order.

The third thing is wrapping. Hand wrapping with a handwritten card is $20, charged once for the whole order rather than per item, and it is added in the cart rather than on the product page.

Common questions

What should be in a matcha gift set?

A whisk, a bowl and a scoop, because matcha cannot be made without all three. The Starter Set at $150 is exactly that and nothing else has to be bought afterwards. Tea itself is the optional part: it is the one thing the recipient can reorder easily, and the one thing most likely to duplicate what is already in their kitchen.

What is a good Japanese tea gift?

The Starter Set at $150 is the one that goes wrong least often, because it works on its own and needs nothing bought afterwards. Below $35, incense asks nothing of the person receiving it.

Will the person receiving it have to pay anything?

Not in the United States — we pay the duty before the parcel leaves Tokyo, so nothing is asked for at the door. Elsewhere, import duty is paid by the recipient on delivery if their country charges it. For a present that is awkward, which is why it is said here rather than buried in a policy page.

Can you leave the prices out?

Yes. Ask in the cart and no prices go inside the parcel. The customs label on the outside must still carry a declared value, because under-declaring is not something this shop does.

How much is gift wrapping, and is it per item?

It is $20 and it is charged once for the whole order, not per item, so add it at most once. A handwritten card is included.

How early should I order for a particular date?

Count backwards four weeks. Dispatch is within five business days (Japanese business days, excluding weekends and public holidays) and transit is usually 7 to 14 days, but customs can add a week and nobody can predict it. For Christmas, order by 27 November for Standard airmail, or by 8 December for Express (EMS).

Can I send it directly to the person?

Yes — enter their address as the delivery address and ask in the cart for prices to be left out. The handwritten card is where your message goes.