That's why in Japan place settings and tea cups are sold in sets of five. The Chinese also appreciate gifts. Gifts in China usually are exchanged in private, except during grand banquets. If you write a card, don't do it in red ink, which means you're cutting off a friendship. Finally, never give a timepiece as a present, since the English word clock sounds like the Chinese word for funeral.
Gifts also are important in the Middle East, although the emphasis is different.
If the ritual of the giving is the point in Japan, the gift itself is what counts in the Mideast. Magnanimous themselves, Arabs appreciate generous people, so their gift-giving tends to be lavish. Gifts generally are given in public and always offered with the right hand. American and German goods are considered to be of high quality. Never give food items, which may offend your host's sense of hospitality.