At first oseibo were simple presents given by one household to another. It never stood for gifts to individuals. Oseibo was presented to the parental household by the children's family, to the main family by the branch household, to the landowners by the tenants, to the patron by the shopkeeper, or to the master artisan by the parents of his apprentices. It was used for expressing appreciation for past favors and kindnesses.
Formerly things brought as Oseibo were fresh fish, dried or salted fish, dried noodles, rice flour, and other common foodstuff. Of course, those who received Oseibo had to make a gift in return, sometimes with money. often return presents were more costly than the original presents, as the receivers were generally richer than the givers.
The custom of giving Oseibo often differs from one locale to another, and in some regions family heads and employmers give Oseibo to their employees and others who worked for them during the year. In such cases, there are no return presents.
The original meaning of Oseibo has almost been lost, and it has become customary to exchange presents at the year-end not only among households, but also among individuals. Presents themselves have tended to become more showy and expensive.
At present oseibo is given to superiors or good customers, and also to a person to whom one feels a special obligation. The sentiment of gratitude consists in the giving and not in the value of the gift.
Department stores have separate shopping corners set up for Oseibo with a variety of items from all floors of the store in all price ranges. Percels are delivered free to addresses within the city limits, and to the suburbs for a nominal charge. Tenmaya, Mitsukoshi and Daiei have shops in other cities, and by sending out code numbers of items selected deliveries are made in many areas.
A selection of Omiyage can normally be made at stalls and shops near major railway stations. They may also be purchased within the Shinkansen. The Omiyage specialty varies from district to district, so the recipient can identify the place you have visited. For the convenience of travellers various types of omiyage are listed at the bottm of JR timetables to show the specialty of the area. Omiyage for Hiroshima are: Momiji manju, maple-leaf shaped bean-jam buns; Kaki yokan, persimmon flavored sweet bean-paste jelly; Kaki, oysters; and Japanese mandarin, Mikan, and pickles.