Giri: Give and Take
Winter was almost over in snowy northern Japan, and despite all our driving to do relief work along the coast, there hadn’t been one car accident. It was disappointing, then, when one staffer’s car slid on a small patch of ice and hit a wall. The car was badly damaged, but we were thankful the driver was fine. The real shock came when we received the estimate to repair the car, which was almost the same as the cost of the car itself. But, when we returned to collect the car the cost was one-tenth of what was expected. The repair man, explained, “You volunteers do so much for us.”
This is an example of the Japanese custom of giri. Translated loosely, giri means “obligation” or “duty,” which “arises from a social interaction with another person.”1 Other nuances include “consideration for another person,” “exchange of favors,” or “moral indebtedness.”2 In Japan, any service, gift, or help, is not only returned in kind, but it must entail some sacrifice on the part of the returnee. The custom was introduced by Confucius to Japan around 500 BC.
Confucius taught that giri was performed for the “good” of society.3 Living one’s life well meant “performing actions that serve to enhance the greater good, rather than pursuing a path of self-interest.”4 Giri is part of all relationships in Japan, and considered “its most valued standard.”5 This custom fit well with life in early Japan, where the economy was based on growing rice. The short rice harvest season required the whole community to work together to get everyone’s rice harvested in time.
The custom has changed over the years. Rather than displaying the highest regard for human relationships, it has become “mundane.”6 This shows in the Japanese calendar, where twice a year people are expected to give gifts to those to whom they are obligated. Consumable gifts such as canned ham or vegetable oil are common. Valentine’s Day, though imported from the West, also has a giri flavor. In this case, chocolates are given by females to their male coworkers, boyfriends, and husbands as “appreciation.” The chocolate given between coworkers is even called giri choco.7
Though some of the meaning is lost, Japanese still value giri to help keep relationships harmonious. The man at the garage was under no obligation to us. But in typical giri style, he gave back to those he felt had helped his country. Knowing firsthand our own response to his gift giving, one can understand why Japanese still value and participate in this practice. 
1. Masayuki Yoshida, “Giri: A Japanese Indigenous Concept,” http://academic.csuohio.edu/makelaa/history/courses/his373/giri.html, Oct. 8, 1996.
2. Yoshida, 1996.
3. Jeffery Hays, “Japanese Society” (Subheading: Duty and Following Rules in Japan) Last modified October 2011. http://factsanddetails.com/japan.php?itemid=642&catid=19&subcatid=120#13.
4. Jacqualine Kurio, “Japan—Through the Looking Glass: The Concept of Giri.” Last modified 2013. http://www.daijob.com/en/columns/terrie/article/1604.
5. Roger J. Davies & Osamu Ikeno, “The Japanese Mind: Understanding Contemporary Japanese Culture,” (Tuttle Publishing, Tokyo/Rutland, Vermont/Singapore, 2002), 95–100.
6. Kurio, 2013.
7. Davies & Ikeno, 2002.
8. Photo by Antti Nissinen