About us
Make friends from other cultures — one small gift at a time.
🎁About Arigato!
Arigato! is a global community where people from different countries meet through small gifts.
A small gift creates a good feeling before the conversation even starts.
That makes it easier to open up, share your culture, learn about each other, and sometimes become real friends.
At our events, people give and receive small gifts for free and meet in person.
It could be a snack, tea, keychain, souvenir, or something you already have at home. The gift does not need to be expensive.
The gift is only the start. What really matters is the story behind it, the other person’s reaction, and the connection that grows from it.
🎁Why I started Arigato!
The idea started when I gave Japanese matcha to someone I met in Turkey. He was much happier than I expected, and that good feeling made it easy for us to talk. We’re still close friends today.
I started this group because I want more people to have that kind of experience.
I also built a free web app to help create these connections anywhere in the world.
🔗 https://arigato.gift (Free — no download needed)
🎁Why I started Arigato!
- RSVP through Meetup
- Check each event page to see what to bring
- Come alone or with a friend
- No perfect English or Japanese needed
- Adults 18+ only. No sales, recruiting, solicitation, or dating/pickup behavior.
Upcoming events
1
Snack Exchange — Small Gifts, Real Friendships 🎁
高田馬場ダイカンプラザ4階 409号室, 〒1690075 東京都新宿区高田馬場1-31-8 高田馬場ダイカンプラザ4階 409号室, Shinjuku City, JP🔤English
🗓 Date: Sunday, August 2, 2026
⏰ Time: 7:00 PM–9:00 PM
📍 Location: Takadanobaba Daikan Plaza, 4th Floor, Room 409
1-31-8 Takadanobaba, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 169-0075, Japan
(About a 3-minute walk from Takadanobaba Station)
💴 Fee: Free — please bring one unopened snackBring one snack from your country and try snacks from around the world 🎁
We’ll share the snacks in small groups and talk about what they are, where they’re from, and whether people often eat them back home.
No speech or personal story needed.A snack from your country is ideal, but it may be hard to find in Japan.
If you can’t find one, bring any unopened snack you like.
You can check KALDI, Don Quijote, Gyomu Super, Asian or halal grocery stores, supermarkets, or convenience stores.When someone tries the snack you brought and enjoys it, the mood gets better right away.
From there, it becomes easier to talk about your country, culture, and yourself.That’s the idea behind Arigato!: a small gift can become the start of a real friendship.
Most people come alone. Simple English or Japanese is fine.
🎁 What to bring
・One store-bought, unopened snack
・Enough for 4–6 people to try
・Keep the original package
・No homemade food, alcohol, or refrigerated food
The event is free. Please bring one snack.🎁 Schedule
19:00 Check-in
19:10 Welcome
19:15 Snack sharing
19:50 Change groups
20:20 Free conversation
20:50 Optional group photo
21:00 Finish
Adults 18+ only.
No sales, recruiting, solicitation, or dating/pickup behavior.
Please check the ingredients before eating.─────────────────
🇯🇵日本語🗓 日時：2026年8月2日（日）19:00〜21:00
📍 会場：高田馬場ダイカンプラザ 4階 409号室
〒169-0075 東京都新宿区高田馬場1-31-8 (高田馬場駅から徒歩約3分)
💴 参加費：無料 — 未開封のお菓子を1点ご持参ください自分の国のお菓子を1つ持って、世界のお菓子をみんなで食べる交流会です 🎁
少人数でお菓子を分けながら、「どこのお菓子か」「現地ではよく食べるのか」などを話します。
スピーチや特別な思い出話は必要ありません！母国のお菓子が理想ですが、日本で見つからなくても大丈夫です。
その場合は、自分が好きな未開封のお菓子を持ってきてください！
KALDI、ドン・キホーテ、業務スーパー、アジア食品店、ハラールショップ、スーパー、コンビニなどで探せます。自分が持ってきたお菓子を相手が食べて喜んでくれると、最初から場がやわらぎます。
そこから自国の文化や自分のことも話しやすくなります。小さなギフトが、本当の友だちになるきっかけを作る。これがArigato!の考え方です 🎁
一人参加も歓迎です。簡単な英語や日本語で大丈夫です。
🎁 持ち物
・市販の未開封のお菓子1点
・4〜6人が少しずつ食べられる量
・元の包装のまま持参
・手作り、酒類、要冷蔵の食品は禁止
参加費は無料です。お菓子を1点持ってきてください。🎁 当日の流れ
19:00 受付
19:10 はじめの説明
19:15 お菓子をシェア
19:50 グループ変更
20:20 フリートーク
20:50 希望者のみ集合写真
21:00 終了
18歳以上限定です。営業、勧誘、ナンパ・恋愛目的での参加は禁止します。
食べる前に原材料を各自で確認してください。1 attendee
