I can’t think of a birthday gift for the men I’m very fond of—please help.

I’m Saito, a column writer ♪ If you’re looking for something safe that won’t catch his wife’s eye, I’d probably go with a business card holder. I often give them to men, too. A well-made leather one from a lesser-known brand can be really nice. It’s perfectly normal to have more than one business card holder—and I tend to lose mine quite often, haha.

I’m a male member in Seattle. I don’t really need gifts. A massage would be nice, though. There’s a married housekeeper I have a crush on but haven’t made a move on. She hugged me on my birthday, and it gave me butterflies. My heart was racing.

Maezawa from the Corporate Planning Office here as well. As Mac mentioned, I think stationery would be a good choice. A ballpoint pen in particular is something people use regularly, and men can sometimes be quite particular about them, so it may appeal to him. I think something classic, like a black pen, would be best. But if you want to be a little adventurous—though tastes vary, so there’s no guarantee he’ll use it—a sterling silver ballpoint pen might also be nice. The Cross Century Sterling Silver (around ¥15,000, perhaps?) is well known, but Cross pens use a specialized refill that other manufacturers don’t make. So even if you want to switch to a smooth-writing JETSTREAM refill, you can’t, which is a drawback. There’s no need to insist on sterling silver, so I think it’s best to choose a ballpoint pen you genuinely like. Personally, I think JETSTREAM offers the smoothest writing experience among oil-based ballpoint pens. So even if you buy a high-end pen, I’d recommend making sure at least the refill is a JETSTREAM. Incidentally, the pens we have women use when they come in for interviews are JETSTREAMs. (笑) They’re inexpensive plastic ones, but they write exceptionally well for oil-based pens. About four years ago, President Kida strongly emphasized at a national meeting that everyone should use JETSTREAM ballpoint pens. However, many staff members may not remember that. So I apologize if there are branches that have switched to different pens, but this is how much attention Universe pays to these details—and the writing experience really is different. Anyway, getting back to the point, when buying a high-end ballpoint pen, I think it’s worth paying attention to the refill specifications as well. With pens that use the 4C standard, you have countless refill options. Parker-style refills are available in JETSTREAM, too, so it’s unfortunate that JETSTREAM refills can’t be used with Cross pens. Also, personally, I find that metal pens—including sterling silver and brass ones—are often easier to write with precisely because they weigh more than 30 grams. I’ve gone on at length about ballpoint pens, but even with small gifts, men will sometimes drop hints during conversation about things they’d be happy to receive.

I’m Meg, a female member. Ahh, what perfect timing for a question! My recent concern was exactly the same as the questioner’s. To all the male respondents, thank you so much. Your answers were really helpful♪ > Mr. Maezawa, who’s passionate about ballpoint pens! I might go take a look today. > Seattle! I gave my partner a massage the other day, and they said, “That feels so good,” before briefly falling asleep (*^^*) It may be rude since they’re older than me, but I couldn’t help thinking it was cute☆

I’m Hikouki, a male member. I’m married too, so I can’t really accept anything, and I don’t take things home with me either. Still, I do sometimes receive gifts. In your case as well, I don’t think you can simply avoid giving her something. The women who give me gifts pay close attention and have a good sense of timing. They give me things I’m about to replace, or things I don’t already own, so I’m able to use them without any trouble. They’re good at finding and giving me things I would never have expected to receive, such as a car key holder, money clip, scarf, or belt. Based on the gifts I’ve received and the brands they came from, I think one approach would be to visit a men’s brand shop. By observing the man’s usual style, you may be able to find something he doesn’t own or something that looks like it’s about time to replace. P.S. Like Mac and Jamu mentioned, I also think stationery is the best option. The most important thing is that it doesn’t make your family suspicious. It’s also nice that you don’t have to worry about whether he actually uses it. I have a longtime friend with whom I help create alibis, and we regularly give each other wallets, bags, car-related items, and various other things. So if my wife ever asks, I can usually get away with saying that I received it from him. Still, deep down, I’m always nervous that she might become suspicious and ask me about something. Also, unless I’m particularly fond of the woman, I probably won’t use the gift. P.P.S. If it’s something wearable, you can probably tell whether he’ll use future gifts by seeing whether he wears the first gift you gave him.