In July, a package arrived on my genkan doorstep like all packages arrive at my house — with a thud. I could hear the postman grunt out a greeting before he shut the screen door behind him. I went downstairs to investigate the thud.

It was a large flat box, 51 cm by 38 cm and about 5 cm deep. Hmm.

Then I saw the noshigami piece of paper attached to it, the one with the upside-down necktie on it and kanji writing that said ochugen. A summer gift. Naturally. We all deserve a gift in the summertime. It's as if to say, "Congratulations! You've almost made it through another Japanese summer!" Ochugen is really more like a reward. And with global warming bringing on rising temperatures, I hope these summer gifts compensate by getting even bigger as we deserve bigger rewards for getting through the summers.