I'm Inquisitive by Nature

I often hear people say, "I don't know what to give for Christmas," but I've always been observing what people like and what they want. Communication between people is fundamentally about conveying yourself while also wanting to understand the other person. People are more engaged when you talk about what you like, what you enjoy, what you want, and what interests you, so I always follow up with, "And what about you?" This is how I gather information, not just for Christmas, but year-round.

Ensuring Gifts Have a Place to Go

Christmas is a wonderful event that brings the world together, offering a perfect opportunity to think of others, consider their preferences, and express gratitude. For me, it's Merry Christmas, but I give with a feeling of "Thank you always."

Gifts as Thoughtful Combinations

Lately, I've enjoyed giving gifts that are combinations, like a mug and coffee beans, or socks with shoes. When given as a single item, one tends to choose based on quality or price, but combining items conveys the thoughtfulness of the selection, leading to laughter, a slight surprise, admiration, or even an introduction to a different world. Thinking about combinations is enjoyable, and it shows that time and thought were invested. My ideal is for the gift to convey a feeling without being overly burdensome.

If choosing from Margaret Howell, I'd go for knitwear. A combination of a shirt and knit is excellent.Merino Cashmere Knitis something I'd like for myself. A selection that conveys the warmth unique to winter, such as clothing paired with a mug, or a scarf with socks, would be appreciated by anyone.

Yataro MATSUURA
Writer, Editor
Born in Tokyo in 1965. After moving to the United States, he was exposed to American bookstore culture and established COWBOOKS, a pioneer of select bookstores in Japan. He is active as an essayist in various media. From 2006 to March 2015, he served as editor-in-chief of Kurashi no Techo for approximately nine years. In April 2015, he joined Cookpad Inc. On July 1st, he launched the web media Kurashi no Kihon (https://kurashi-no-kihon.com/). In addition to newspaper and magazine serializations, he has authored numerous books.






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