One year, an acquaintance recalls, her family started getting an unusually large number of "oseibo" (yearend presents) and "ochuugen" (midyear gifts).
The soaps, detergents, oils, cakes, jellies, cookies, beer and juices the family would receive no longer fit snugly under the upright piano in the living area -- instead, the mass of items overflowed above the piano and onto adjacent cabinets and shelves.
It wasn't because the family had suddenly become popular in the community, her mother later explained. Her father had just changed jobs. Working within a subsidiary of Toyota, part of his new responsibilities included telling subcontractors their services were no longer needed. The gifts were from the remaining subcontractors, who were hoping that personal contact would prevent them from losing a large customer, if not prevent them from going out of business altogether.