If you gave a gift expert 10,000 yen, what would they buy? Bell-Be employees choose 'gifts beyond physical items'

Bell-Be Co., Ltd. (Ichikawa-cho, Hyogo Prefecture; CEO: Yoshinori Miyazaki), operator of the online gift store 'Sommelier @ Gift,' launched a welfare program called 'Moshi-Gift' (If a gift professional were serious about giving) to commemorate its 10 billion yen sales milestone projected for May 2026. The program involved providing all 105 employees and part-time staff with 10,000 yen each to purchase gifts.

The company intended to gift employees an 'experience of giving,' but instead received heartwarming episodes and countless smiles, finding that the company itself received the 'true gift.' This miraculous 'chain of gifting' holds the potential not only to benefit the company but also to impact Japanese society, which suffers from a sense of stagnation. This report documents what gift professionals learned about the future of Japan's gifting culture and how it can improve society.

Why 'gift' now? The positive impact of 'Moshi-Gift' on society

Modern society faces the challenge of diminishing real-world relationships despite the spread of social media. In the pursuit of efficiency and convenience, humanity is losing its most luxurious and warm moments: 'using one's time and imagination for someone else.' The 'Moshi-Gift' project is an answer (a social experiment) to this challenge. A gift is not merely the 'movement of goods.' It is the time spent thinking of others: 'What is the recipient struggling with?' 'What would make them smile?' With 105 employees seriously thinking about someone else, 105 different smiles were born. This small ripple, spreading from within the company to the region and across Japan, is a form of social contribution unique to a gift-specialized company, raising the social 'temperature' by one degree.

Five real-world choices made by gift professionals with a 10,000 yen budget

The reports submitted after 'Moshi-Gift' focused not on the products themselves, but on the scenes of smiles from loved ones that were previously overlooked due to busy schedules.

■ Gifting 'a day for the family to gather'

A mother-in-law had been working while cooking delicious meals for her three children every day. Now that the children are married and living away, she lives alone. An employee wanted to return the favor by cooking for her and planned a family hand-rolled sushi party. It was not just about the present, but gifting the 'reason for the family to gather.' The mother-in-law later remarked, 'I'm happy that everyone reached out to each other and gathered,' showing that the true gift was the 'time for the family to be together again.'

■ Gifting the encouragement to 'go out'

An employee wanted their mother, who underwent surgery for an unexpected illness last year, to go out more. They chose shoes, a hat, and a bag. The mother started using them immediately. Another employee chose bright pink slip-on shoes for their mother, who had been staying in more since the loss of her pet dog, hoping to inspire her to leave the house. Recalling a line from the drama 'Hana Yori Dango'—'a girl should wear the finest shoes, for they will take her to wonderful places'—the employee aimed to give her a 'trigger to go out.'

■ Gifting a wish for 'long life'

An employee who had always gifted sweets for Mother's Day faced a challenge after their mother started treatment for diabetes and could no longer enjoy the same meals. When asked what she wanted, the mother requested 'onsen (hot spring) tickets.' The employee gifted these, wishing for her to continue enjoying life and living long.

■ Remembering 'that one remark'

An employee recalled a casual remark their mother-in-law made to their father-in-law while discussing a newspaper ad for an enka concert. They secretly searched for the best seats and booked tickets. The mother-in-law was surprised and delighted, thanking them for the good seats. Gifting can start by simply remembering a casual comment the recipient made.

■ Gifting 'time that only exists now'

'My mother mentioned she wanted to go out for a meal.' After much thought between meat or fish, the choice made by an employee was 'only now...'