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Should I give omiyage to my doctor? 2016/7/16 16:50
Every month I see a psychiatrist to get medication. The visits are brief but he is very kind and always asking me, a foreigner living in Japan, about my travel plans for national holidays and vacations, and follows up on them the next visit. For summer I'm going to my home country for a month, which I told him about today. Should I bring him some omiyage? In my home country it would be strange for someone to give a present to their doctor, but I'm wondering if it's more common here given the omiyage culture. Thank you!
by Jenn Jett (guest)  

Re: Should I give omiyage to my doctor? 2016/7/17 13:58
Only if you feel the doctor is very good with you and want to specifically express your appreciation for him personally, and if you find something nice and appropriate from where you are from. (You don't have to.) And if you do decide to give him something, when you give it him make sure to say that this is from your home country/town and it's been a rather long stay, meaning to mention that this is special one-off case. Otherwise once you start giving souvenirs it's difficult to stop :)

Or to put it the other way around, I don't think he is expecting any souvenir from your visit.
by AK rate this post as useful

Re: Should I give omiyage to my doctor? 2016/7/17 22:04
The large hospitals and university hospitals warn not to send any gifts to MD, nurse and staff there. They also do not accept.
The private own practitioner might accept a small gift but they do not demand also. This si because they get medical payment.
by tokyo friend 48 rate this post as useful

Re: Should I give omiyage to my doctor? 2016/7/21 09:56
@tokyo friend 48 That is not true, just recently I gave a doctor and the nurses an omiyage thanking them for taking care of my family patient in their hospital. They did not reject the omiyage at the hospital, they accepted it, and it was not a private own practioner either.
by m (guest) rate this post as useful

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