Skip to content

We ship within Japan, and to your hotel.

Guida

What is noshi, and which one should I choose?

Noshi is the printed paper strip that goes with a gift in Japan. Outer noshi sits on top of the wrapping so the occasion is visible at a glance; inner noshi sits under it, for a quieter gift. For anything posted, inner noshi is the usual choice. You set the inscription and the sender's name on the product page and can change them in the cart.

Updated 9 September 2026

Outer or inner noshi?

When to use each
TypeWhere it sitsBest for
Outer (soto-noshi)On top of the wrappingHanded over in person; celebrations and corporate gifts
Inner (uchi-noshi)Under the wrappingAnything posted, and thank-you gifts meant to be understated
No noshi—Casual gifts, or something for yourself

Which water cord goes on it?

You do not choose it — the inscription does. Anything you would be glad to see happen again (congratulations, thanks, a return gift, the midsummer and year-end gifts) takes chou-musubi, a bow that can be untied and retied. Anything meant to happen once — a wedding, thanks for a recovery, a funeral — takes musubikiri, pulled tight so it cannot be undone. The knot is the meaning.

Chou-musubi — a bowTied with a bow, for things you would be glad to see happen again.
Musubikiri — tied onceTied once and pulled tight, for things meant to happen only once.
Knot and occasion
KnotWhat it saysInscriptions
Chou-musubi (a bow)Something that may happily recur御祝, 御礼, 内祝, 御中元, 御歳暮, 御年賀, 御挨拶
Musubikiri (tied once)Something meant to happen once寿, 御結婚御祝, 快気祝
Musubikiri, black and whiteCondolencesWe do not currently offer this

You pick the inscription from a list when you order; there is no free-text box. The knot follows the inscription, so choosing 寿 or 御結婚御祝 for a wedding gets you the once-only knot. The folded hexagon at the top right is the noshi-awabi, a survival of the strip of dried abalone once attached to a gift: without it the paper is a kakegami, not a noshigami.

What should the inscription say?

There is a set phrase for each occasion. If you are unsure, "御祝" (congratulations) or "御礼" (thank you) is always safe. The sender's name — usually just the family name — goes underneath.

Occasion and inscription
OccasionInscriptionReading
General congratulations御祝o-iwai
A wedding (musubikiri)寿kotobuki
Thank you御礼o-rei
Returning a gift you received内祝uchi-iwai
Midsummer greeting (early July to early August)御中元o-chugen
Year-end greeting (December)御歳暮o-seibo
A visit or introduction御挨拶go-aisatsu

Condolence gifts use musubikiri in black and white or double silver, with different wording. We do not currently offer that option.

What about wrapping and message cards?

  • Standard wrapping is free. A presentation box is ¥550 and a furoshiki cloth is ¥1,100.
  • A message card is free: up to 120 Japanese characters or 300 English characters.
  • Everything is set per item on the product page and edited in the cart, so one order can carry different settings for each product.
  • No invoice goes in the box. Nothing inside shows the price.

What works as a gift for someone abroad?

Shipping alcohol out of Japan needs an export licence for liquor wholesalers, which we are still obtaining. Until then we cannot send it abroad. Noshi rarely means anything to a recipient outside Japan, so an English message card usually lands better.

If the person is visiting Japan, hotel delivery is the better route: we aim to have it waiting the day before they check in.

Questions

Can the noshi carry a name in English?
Yes, we can print a name in Roman letters. We suggest keeping the inscription itself in Japanese and putting your English words on the message card.
Can I change the wrapping after ordering?
Before dispatch, yes. Email us with the order number.

Read next

If your question is not here, email us. info@guida.jp

Related products