Weddings
It is traditional for wedding guests to provide a monetary gift in a stylized, sealed envelope. The money is understood to be used to cover the cost of the wedding and party. Depending on the group of people involved, people of higher status may be expected to give more, or there may be a decided amount. The amount is often ￥30,000 and the number of bank notes should be odd, since even numbers can be divided into two and thus unlucky for the couple. In addition, the amount of ￥40,000 is inappropriate, as 4(shi) phonetically sounds like "death" in Japanese. The notes should also be new notes to symbolise the new start in their lives.
Wedding guests may receive wedding gifts, in a kind of reverse-wedding registry situation. Near the wedding date, guests may receive a catalog of gifts available for them to choose from.
Read more about this topic: Etiquette In Japan