The Importance of Product Presentation in Japan

For most places outside of Japan, the presentation and packaging of a product is usually not something that we take into much consideration. But with the meticulous care that goes into every detail when something is being created in Japan, this applies to everything including the presentation of the item too.

One example of this that might seem a big strange or out of the ordinary is the fruits. Illustriously, Japan is famous for how expensive their fruits can be, but it is for good reason. Funnily enough, to an extent they are considered more as something you indulge in rather than something you would eat every day. This is because the iconic expensive fruits are a case of years of farming and having them grown under very strict and specific conditions in order to not only get the best flavour out of the fruit, but the appearance of it as well. Gift giving is a big part of Japanese culture, it might be unusual to some people but even if you take a few days off of work to go on holiday somewhere, it is standard to come back and get a souvenir for your colleagues. This is why if you ever look at souvenirs from stores in Japan, there is always a huge selection of items spanning from snacks, stationary, trinkets, and drinks. This is no different to the fruits. Possibly the fruit that usually gets the biggest limelight for being so expensive is the melon. They can fetch up to ridiculous prices but the quality and care that goes into growing the perfect melon is extraordinary. There even is a special grading system in place when inspecting each fruit to determine the quality of it. The shape of the melon has to be as close to as spherical as possible and firm to the touch. When cutting it in half it must be juicy but not too much and a perfectly balanced colour. The flavour and scent must be strong and sweet but not overly overpowering, and perhaps the hardest factor to get right is the netting on the outside skin. The netting must be clear and patterned beautifully, devoid of any scratches, blemishes or imperfections.

As it can be seen, being able to produce a melon that reaches this top grade is extremely difficult. Years of farming and learning goes into the process, but even the most famed and advanced farmers can get it wrong. So, the idea of giving one of these top level melons as a gift or souvenir is very much desired. Of course the taste is important as at the end of the day it will be consumed, but the fact that so much thought and attention has been given to something that most would deem insignificant is what makes presentation in Japan so powerful.

As mentioned briefly before, snacks are also a common souvenir gift. The cheaper prices compared to the fruits and how common you can find them anywhere makes it a great option to most people. However, this does not mean that the presentation suffers any less. The exterior of the packaging is usually adorned with designs and patterns related to what is famed in the area, and that continues onto the packaging for each item too. Usually, you will find that each piece inside is individually sealed in similar designs as the exterior. The presentation of these snacks used for gift giving goes beyond just the box. In shops where you will see these products, there is usually a small little display with a plastic model showing what the snack looks like out of the package and what is inside. This is great because you get a visual idea on what exactly the snack is to determine whether it is a good purchase or not, but it also highlights the importance of presentation as it entices customers to their products even more.

Designs and patterns on the exterior of a product is an easy and common form of attractive presentation, but after a while of seeing the same packaging on the shelves, no matter how stunning it is it can become outdated. Culturally, each season is specially celebrated throughout the year with the beauty of nature’s cycle and foods that become more common in that time period. To keep things interesting, many companies will produce speciality limited packaging on their products that reflects the season that they are in. For example, in autumn you will start to see designs of the unforgettable fiery hues of momiji leaves on the packages. Limited edition flavours for existing products will also become available where foods like chestnuts, pumpkins and persimmons become popular that you may see on the designs too. Evidently, the importance of presentation of products in Japan is exceptional, which covers everything from higher-end to lower-end goods and packaging of the box all the way down to the displays.

The presentation and the packaging play a big part in selling products in Japan

Japan’s gift-giving culture has made the packaging and presentation of products crucial in Japanese market

Japanese companies produce limited edition of their products every season to keep attracting consumers