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Guide to Sending Flowers to Japan: Culture & Etiquette

Ever sat staring at your phone, desperately trying to figure out how to send flowers to Japan for your friend's birthday tomorrow, only to realize you have absolutely no idea where to begin? Been there, done that.

Sending flowers to Japan isn't like dropping a bouquet at your neighbor's doorstep. There's language barriers, cultural expectations, and that pesky international shipping situation to figure out.

In this guide, I'll walk you through exactly how to send flowers to Japan without accidentally sending funeral arrangements to a birthday party (yes, flower meanings matter tremendously there).

But first, let's talk about why most people mess this up completely - and how one tiny detail can make the difference between your gesture being treasured or tossed.

Understanding Japanese Flower Culture and Etiquette

Popular Flowers in Japan and Their Symbolic Meanings

Ever noticed how the Japanese have a special connection with flowers? It's not just about pretty blooms-each flower carries deep cultural significance and tells its own story.

Cherry blossoms (Sakura) reign supreme in Japan. These delicate pink flowers symbolize the fleeting nature of life and beauty. When Japanese people see sakura, they're reminded that life is beautiful but brief-pretty profound for a little flower, right?

Chrysanthemums (Kiku) are so important they appear on the Imperial Seal of Japan. These flowers represent longevity and rejuvenation. But here's a tip: avoid them for happy occasions as they're commonly used at funerals.

The iris (Shobu) symbolizes courage and warrior spirit in Japanese culture. These striking purple flowers bloom during rainy season and are associated with Boys' Day celebrations.

Camellias (Tsubaki) are winter favorites representing longevity and faithfulness. But watch out—red camellias can symbolize death in some contexts because when they fall, the entire flower head drops rather than petal by petal.

Other significant Japanese flowers include:

Flower	Japanese Name	Symbolic Meaning
Lotus	Hasu	Purity and enlightenment
Peony	Botan	Wealth, good fortune, honor
Wisteria	Fuji	Longevity, poetic beauty
Morning Glory	Asagao	Brief love, summer affection
Hydrangea	Ajisai	Gratitude, understanding

Cultural Considerations When Sending Flowers in Japan

Sending flowers in Japan? You'd better know your numbers. Never send four or nine of anything-these numbers sound like "death" and "suffering" in Japanese. Instead, go for lucky numbers like three, five, or eight.

Colors matter tremendously. White flowers traditionally represent death and are appropriate for funerals. Red can symbolize romantic love (like roses) but can be inappropriate in formal settings. Purple suggests nobility and wealth, while pink represents youth and happiness.

The packaging and presentation are just as important as the flowers themselves. Japanese florists take wrapping to an art form, with careful consideration of paper colors and ribbon choices. A sloppily wrapped bouquet? Major faux pas.

Appropriate Occasions for Flower Gifts

Flowers make perfect gifts for many Japanese occasions, but timing is everything.

Hospital visits? Absolutely bring flowers-but never potted plants. They suggest the patient will be there long enough for roots to grow. Yikes.

Business relationships benefit from flower gifts during grand openings or significant achievements. Just keep arrangements modest and elegant-over-the-top displays might cause embarrassment.

Personal celebrations like birthdays, graduations, and housewarmings call for bright, seasonal blooms. For romantic occasions, red roses work just like they do everywhere else-though expect to pay premium prices around Valentine's Day.

Types of Arrangements Preferred in Japanese Culture

The Japanese approach to floral design couldn't be more different from Western bouquets. Ikebana, the traditional Japanese art of flower arrangement, focuses on minimalism and asymmetry.

In ikebana, less is definitely more. These arrangements typically feature just a few carefully selected stems in specific positions, representing heaven, earth, and humanity. The space between elements is just as important as the elements themselves.

Modern Japanese also appreciate Western-style bouquets, but they still prefer arrangements that show restraint and seasonal awareness. Seasonal flowers hold special significance—sending summer flowers in winter might seem odd or thoughtless.

Bonsai and kokedama (moss ball plantings) make excellent gifts for business associates or close friends, representing long-lasting relationships. Just remember these require care, so consider the recipient's lifestyle before sending living plants.

Finding Reliable Flower Delivery Services for Japan

How to Send Flowers to Someone in Japan?

Sending flowers to someone in Japan doesn't have to be complicated. With the right service, you can brighten someone's day with a beautiful arrangement, even from thousands of miles away.

First, you'll need to gather some basic information before placing your order:

• Recipient's full name (correctly spelled)
• Complete delivery address in Japan with postal code
• Phone number (ideally a Japanese number)
• Your preferred delivery date (plan 2-3 days ahead minimum)

Most international flower services will need this info to ensure smooth delivery. And here's a pro tip: Japanese addresses can be tricky, so double-check everything before finalizing your order.

International Florists with Japanese Delivery Options

Several global flower delivery networks have solid coverage in Japan. These services make it easy to send flowers from anywhere in the world:

• Bunches Baskets Japan - Partners with local Japanese florists for authentic arrangements

What's great about these services is they handle all the customs and language barriers for you. They typically offer English websites and customer service, making the ordering process painless.

Japanese-Based Online Flower Shops

Many Japanese sites now offer English versions of their websites, though you might need to navigate with a translation tool for some. The benefit? More authentic arrangements at better prices.

Comparison of Delivery Fees and Service Quality

Price matters, but so does reliability. Here's how the options stack up:

Service Type	Avg. Delivery Fee	Delivery Time	Language Support	Arrangement Quality
International Networks	$15-25	2-4 days	Excellent English	Good
Japanese Local Shops	$8-15	Same day to 2 days	Limited English	Excellent
Specialty Services	$20-30	1-3 days	Varies	Premium

The premium you pay for international services buys you convenience and language support. Japanese local shops offer better prices but might present language barriers.

Reading Reviews and Verifying Credibility

Don't get scammed by fake flower delivery services. Before ordering:

• Check Google reviews and look for consistent positive feedback
• Verify the company has a physical address in Japan
• Look for secure payment options and clear delivery policies
• Search for the company name + "review" or "scam" to catch red flags
• Check their social media presence for recent activity

Trust your gut. If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Specialty Services Offering Authentic Japanese Arrangements

These services often cost more but deliver genuinely Japanese experiences that standard florists can't match. Perfect when you want to impress someone with cultural awareness and attention to detail. 

"Naam Shabana" is Nothing But an Ordinary Spy Thriller

There is a history of ruining a good film franchise if it gets a new director for its sequel or prequel. "Naam Shabana" is an addition to that history. If a good director like Neeraj Pandey who has made box office hits like "A Wednesday!", "Special 26" and "Baby", comes in a news headline for his next project, hype is naturally generated but it is the quality of that ultimate product which decides whether it will live up to the expectations. Neeraj Pandey has agreed not to give direction but produce and write the screenplay for "Naam Shabana" but I think this movie, having the theme of national security similar to "Baby", fails to touch the nerve of the audience. Even if any of the three Khans gives a mediocre performance in a lead role, any ordinary movie crosses or goes close to the 100 Crore mark these days just because of their complete screen presence. Akshay Kumar is the only superstar presently working in Bollywood who can give good competition to these three Khans. "Baby" was one of the big hits in his entire filmy career. Taapsee Pannu has earned a label of a class actress after delivering a stunning performance in "Pink" but if somebody thinks that she can now take the burden of carrying the legacy of Akshay Kumar starrer "Baby" on her shoulder, I am afraid he lives in a fool's paradise. Anupam Kher and Akshay Kumar have made good chemistry with their comedy and charm of acting together in "Special 26" and "Baby" but that is hardly seen in "Naam Shabana". Instead of making a prequel, Neeraj Pandey should have made a sequel to "Baby" with a new follow-up story with Akshay Kumar in that same lead role. The early life of field agent Shabana Khan (played by Taapsee Pannu) and how she became a spy, could have been shown in a short flashback in that movie. After "Piku", Shoojit Sircar also decided not to direct but produce "Pink" but I guess “Pink” was a far better production than “Naam Shabana” due to better screenplay writing and direction. I am sure Shivam Nair will come back with his best in the coming years.

Shabana Khan's father was an alcoholic and like most of the hard drinkers, he also was a wife and child beater. One day, teen Shabana (the teenage role of Shabana Khan is also played by Taapsee Pannu herself) couldn't tolerate any more home violence and hit his father on his head. That fatal blow got her father killed. Police arrested Shabana and she spent two years in a juvenile home after getting sentenced by the juvenile court. But Shabana came under surveillance as a potential candidate for becoming the spy of a secret service agency responsible for our national security. She is an angry young woman who gets agitated very easily on crowded streets. She is still studying commerce in a college and practices a special kind of martial art called Kudo. She has also won the tournament of the Kudo championship. Shabana's classmate and friend Jai (played by Taher Shabbir Mithaiwala) is in love with her and one night when they are on their way home riding on a motorcycle (both Jai and Shabana are wearing no helmets), they meet with four spoiled brats who started to tease Shabana. Ignoring Jai's advice 'It's not about guts but you need to know when to step in and when to back off', Shabana decided to encounter them. Jai also had to intervene for saving her but got murdered by the leader of those four scumbags. Shabana swore that she would not rest until she brought the killer to justice. But she was getting frustrated due to the slow progress of the criminal investigation by police, and one day, she received a call from an unknown person who asked her what if he told her the present whereabouts of those fugitives, how she would bring them to justice. Shabana’s reply was straight and full of confidence that if she is provided with the information and other help, she will likely kill the murderer of Jai because she no longer has faith in the legal justice system. The unknown caller offers every possible help in pursuing her vengeance but with one condition. Once it is done, in return, she would have to join the Secret Service agency and work as a field agent defending the national security of our nation. Shabana says yes.

The official theatrical trailer shows a tag that says 'witness the making of a spy'. So, how does a common man become a spy? Does the Secret Service agency recruit civilians for spy jobs directly from society? What are the criteria based on which they choose their possible candidates? What kind of training curriculum do they follow? Shabana Khan has an angry young mind which sometimes attracts unnecessary attention. She also has a criminal background. Her study is yet to be completed. She has lost her faith in our legal justice system and is mentally prepared to kill a guy for a personal vendetta. If these kinds of qualities make her qualify to get selected for the spy job, do you think it shows the reality as closely as possible? I don't think so. The instructor, who was giving her shooting practices, happened to be a white Caucasian foreigner. Our national secret agency couldn't just find an Indian shooting instructor to train our secret agents. How weird is that? Only martial arts and shooting practices seem to be quite enough for completing her training to be an operational field agent. No movie can keep you on the edge of your seat right up to the end, than a spy thriller. When somebody is making a spy thriller, it should be looked like one. Recently, Priyanka Chopra came under the spotlight due to her acting in an American TV series drama thriller "Quantico". There are popular spy franchises like "James Bond" and "Jason Bourne" which were made in Hollywood. Perhaps, the director and the screenplay writer of "Naam Shabana" should have taken some inspiration and ideas from these spy franchises before making this film. All the field agent characters including Ajay Singh Rajput (played by Akshay Kumar) and Shabana Khan (played by Taapsee Pannu) seem to be physically unfit and unathletic to be looked like a professional spy. They even do not have the proper training or do not know the standard procedure for approaching an armed suspect. The lack of research before writing this weak screenplay is also one of the factors that lead this movie to failure. If people like to call Aamir Khan a perfectionist, then there must be a reason behind it. Just take "Dangal" for an example and consider how much research, money, time, and effort the producer cum actor Aamir Khan and the director Nitesh Tiwari put into their project even before taking the first shot.

Even though Taapsee Pannu has the lead role in "Naam Shabana", it doesn't seem to be a woman-centric movie. During operations, Shabana Khan is unable to tackle some unforeseen tough situations and needs the help of Ajay Singh Rajput to get herself out of trouble. Ajay Singh Rajput even holds her arm (not her hand) and drags her to a safe place. In one scene, Ranvir Singh (played by Manoj Bajpayee) makes two interesting comments explaining to Shabana Khan why the agency thinks that she is suitable for the job, 'Females are born with an extra strain in their DNA. Mardon ko gadgets ki jaroorat padti hai, auratein pre-configured aati hai' and 'Aaj kal ke jo haalat hai, us mein tumhare religion ki vajah se hamara access badhta hai aur raastei khulte hai'. He also says that 1500 possible candidates are observed by the agency at any given time. It sounds like wasting money and manpower and when it comes to doing some real action in overseas locations, instead of sending experienced agents, the agency sends a fresh recruit Shabana Khan with a license to kill.

I think unlike "Baby", despite putting its best efforts into going soft against Pakistan and radical Islamic terrorists, the Censor Board of Pakistan has banned the screening of "Naam Shabana" in Pakistan. So, this movie has won the hearts of neither India nor Pakistan. If Hollywood wants to make a spy thriller, it has always made it from the point of view of Western powers like the Soviet Union, China, Vietnam, or North Korea as their adversaries. It is common sense that if Bollywood wants to make a spy thriller, it needs to project Pakistan and anti-Indian jihadi elements as the adversaries as it will give better results at the Indian box office. If handled properly by efficient hands, nationalism always works well in India.