Introduction

This report is based on insights from 22 in-depth interviews with adult children from countries including the United States, Japan, and India. The sample includes young adults giving Father’s Day gifts independently for the first time, aged 18 to 28; middle-generation respondents with established gifting habits, aged 30 to 45; and respondents experiencing changing family roles, such as becoming parents themselves or navigating major family transitions.Through a systematic analysis of how respondents balance practicality and emotion in Father’s Day gift choices, how they make consumer decisions, and how they express love across cultures, this report explores how adult children from different cultural backgrounds use gifts to communicate love, gratitude, care, and emotional recognition toward their fathers.

Summary

· Respondents commonly described a shift from emotionally symbolic gifts to practical gifts. This change was shaped by fathers’ reactions, the children’s improved financial capacity, and closer observation of fathers’ real needs. The shift reflects a maturing process in which gift-giving moves from emotional expression alone toward practical care.

· Cultural background strongly shapes emotional expression. Western respondents, especially those from the United States, were more likely to say “I love you” directly in everyday life, with Father’s Day gifts functioning as an additional gesture. East Asian and South Asian respondents were more likely to express emotion indirectly through gifts, while verbal declarations of love were often absent, awkward, or culturally uncomfortable.

· Budgeting followed two overlapping logics: income proportionality and situational flexibility. Most respondents adjusted their budget according to their current income rather than using a fixed amount. Budgets ranged from roughly 10 to 20 dollars during student years to 100 to 300 dollars after entering the workforce, and could increase temporarily when fathers had health issues or special needs.

· Observing fathers’ daily needs was the central strategy for gift selection. Most respondents decided what to buy by listening to fathers’ complaints, noticing old or worn-out items, or paying attention to health conditions. They relied less on direct questioning or advice from other family members.

· The closing “I love you, Dad” exercise revealed deep cultural differences. American respondents generally found the phrase natural and comfortable, while Japanese and Indian respondents frequently described it as awkward, embarrassing, strange, or cringeworthy. This contrast highlights how differently direct verbal affection is accepted across cultural contexts.

Findings

Respondent Background: A Multigenerational, Cross-Cultural, and Family-Role-Diverse Group of Father’s Day Gift Givers

The respondents covered multiple life stages, from young first-time gift givers to middle-generation adults with stable gifting routines. Their geographic distribution spanned the United States, Japan, India, and other contexts, creating a clear cross-cultural comparison. Their relationships with their fathers varied widely: some maintained close daily contact, some met periodically because of distance, some came from traditional nuclear families, and others were navigating more complicated family changes such as bereavement, remarriage, or tensions with stepparents. These background factors jointly shaped how respondents understood and practiced Father’s Day gift-giving.

- Age and life-stage differences were especially visible. Respondents ranged from 22-year-old university students to 52-year-old middle-aged professionals, with the 25-to-40 middle-generation group forming the largest share. Younger respondents were often still at the beginning of their economic independence, while many middle-generation respondents had already become parents themselves. This transition into the dual role of being both a child and a parent deeply influenced how they interpreted fatherhood and the meaning of Father’s Day.

“I will definitely say to him that I will make him proud and get a, good job in the next upcoming years. That’s what I want to say to him.”

---- Ani Debbarma

“I think it would just be that I wouldn’t want any other, you know, like, he’s my father. He’s my dad. He’s all I know. I’m thankful that he’s still here with me. I know a lot of people don’t have that blessing to have their father still around for them. So, as they say, I try to give him his flowers while he’s still here, so I try to show my appreciation not just on Father’s Day, but every day. I think that’s why I’ve gotten into a habit of calling them every day and just checking on my parents, letting the kids talk to them, and keeping them actively invovlved in what is going on with us. It doesn’t always have to be showing him appreciation on one day. I want him to feel loved and appreciated, and thankful for the relationship that we have, the relationship he has with his kids, and the relationship he has with his grandkids.”

—— Whitney Evans

“Yeah. I mean, it’s been really, really rough these past years because my mother passed away – my father’s wife. With that mind, it is one less person we celebrated with, if that makes sense. Father’s Day is a bit different nowadays, but I do my best to fill in that gap of one less person in our family circle. I show him, ‘Hey, Dad, I just want you to know I care about you . I love you. You’re a great dad. You provided for me, Mom and my brother. Here’s something to show my appreciation, that I love you.’ Whatever that is an — experience, going somewhere, going to the range, or buying a gift.”

—— Noel Tica

- Geographically, the sample could be broadly divided into three cultural regions. American respondents, mainly from states such as Texas, Tennessee, and Louisiana, accounted for approximately half of the sample. Japanese respondents, including those from Tokyo and Gunma Prefecture, accounted for around one fifth. Indian respondents, including those from Pune, Gurgaon, and Thiruvananthapuram, accounted for roughly one third. Together, these respondents created a comparative sample across Western, East Asian, and South Asian cultural contexts.

“the gift carries the emotions.”

—— Nitya Sharma

“I think there is a change in the next generation with a more modern approach and the Western approach that has come nowadays. So I think my child would say, ‘Love you.’ She would hesitate initially. But again, it is a part of culture. If she has not seen me telling my father ‘love you,’ she would not say it. But if I am saying ‘love you’ to my wife and she notices it, then she might say ‘love you’ to me also, because I have not seen my father say ‘love you’ to my mother. So that is also the reason we do not say it to him.”

—— Krishan Kapor

- The frequency of daily contact with fathers showed different patterns across cultural backgrounds. Some American respondents spoke with their fathers every day or lived with them, describing daily morning calls and weekend activities. Indian respondents often experienced geographic separation, such as seeing their fathers every six months while still speaking on the phone every day. Japanese respondents more often described a combination of emotional distance and physical distance.

“Pretty much the same.”

—— Nitya Sharma

- Family structure and role transition also became important background factors. Some respondents discussed how Father’s Day changed after the death of their mother, describing the painful transition from a complete family circle to one with an absent member. Others mentioned fathers’ remarriage, strained relationships with stepparents, or the new understanding of fatherhood that emerged after becoming parents themselves.

“I would say it is both. The gift and the gesture still land the way I hoped. But somehow, for almost four years now, each time I have given something to my dad, he still ends up saying, ‘I wish Mom was here.’ He still wants to mention her. To him, it feels like, yes, it is Father’s Day, but it is not complete without her, if that makes sense.”

—— Noel Tica

Gift Selection Logic: Balancing Practicality and Emotion

When choosing gifts for their fathers, respondents generally described a shift from emotionally expressive gifts, such as handmade cards or customized photo albums, toward more practical gifts, such as electronics, health products, clothing, razors, smart watches, or subscriptions. This evolution was shaped by fathers’ reactions, children’s economic capacity, and cultural background. Western respondents tended to view practicality itself as a form of care. East Asian and South Asian respondents showed stronger inner tension between practical and emotional gifts. Because fathers often did not directly state what they wanted, children relied heavily on observation; because emotional expression was often culturally indirect, gifts became a substitute channel for deeper feeling.

- The move from handmade or emotional gifts to practical gifts was a common trajectory. In childhood or adolescence, respondents often gave cards, drawings, handmade objects, or personalized albums. As they grew older and watched how their fathers reacted, they gradually moved toward more useful items, such as razors, clothing, smart watches, or magazine subscriptions. A recurring trigger was the experience of seeing fathers respond coldly to sentimental gifts or fail to use them.

“Like I said before, he will definitely tell me that, I can also do such things or, how I thought about it, or do you also know how to give such gifts? That's how he will usually say and make fun of it.”

—— Ani Debbarma

“My father had always painted, so I gave him an art book. I remember giving him a fairly expensive book with a collection of Western artworks from overseas.I do not really remember his reaction, but I do not remember him being especially happy about it.Later, I saw it just left there, and a few years after that, it had been put out on trash day.”

—— Rin Midorikawa

“I bought him golf clubs, he never used them. Maybe it was me pushing him to do it as opposed to him wanting it. Let’s choose more conservative today.”

—— Robert Turner

- Observing fathers’ daily needs and habits became the main strategy for gift selection. Respondents frequently mentioned watching what old items their fathers still used, listening for complaints about things that no longer worked well, and paying attention to health conditions. This strategy was especially common among East Asian and South Asian respondents, because fathers were often described as people who never directly said what they wanted. Children therefore had to infer needs through careful observation.

“He basically does not say what he thinks, so I judge by wheter he is using it, wheter he is eating it and things like that.”

—— Yuko Wakasugi

- The balance between practicality and emotion was strongly influenced by cultural background. American respondents more frequently used criteria such as “my father would use it” or “father would actually use it,” framing usefulness as a direct expression of care. Japanese and Indian respondents more often described internal conflict. On the one hand, they wanted gifts to carry emotional meaning, such as the idea of restoring old photos in a future album. On the other hand, the cultural pattern of fathers not expressing emotion, or families not saying these words, made deeper emotional exchange difficult.

“No. I think my dad is very sentimental. He just does not express that, and he holds it very close to his chest. So I think the message is definitely communicated. I think that is just the way we have always done it. He feels seen, and he feels loved. Just because he does not express emotion does not mean he does not cherish it or keep it close. My dad writes poetry, but just not verbally. He is great on paper. He does not express it out loud. So I think he gets it. I think he appreciates it. But that is never going to come out verbally.”

—— Megan Mulder

- A small number of respondents explicitly stated that gift-giving did not carry gratitude or emotional intention for them. Instead, it functioned as an obligation or family tradition. One Japanese respondent said they did not consciously give gifts with a feeling of gratitude. Another described Father’s Day gifts as simply the fact of having completed something. For these respondents, gift selection tended toward safe practical items and food, avoiding anything that might invite direct emotional interaction.

“I do not really feel that I am sending it with a special sense of gratitude.”

—— Yuko Wakasugi

Consumption Behavior and Purchase Decisions: Income-Proportional Budgets and Observation-Driven Channels

Respondents’ Father’s Day gift decisions showed a clear logic of income-proportional budgeting and observation-driven purchasing. Rather than using a fixed budget, most respondents chose an amount they considered reasonable in relation to their current income. Budgets ranged from around 10 to 20 dollars during student years to 100 to 300 dollars after entering the workforce, with flexibility when fathers had special needs or health-related circumstances. In terms of channels, online shopping became the dominant option because of convenience and price comparison, while some respondents still preferred offline shopping when they wanted to choose the gift personally. Attitudes toward personalized gifts were polarized: emotionally open respondents treated them as an upgraded option, while more emotionally conservative respondents often rejected them.

- Budgeting was characterized by income proportionality rather than a fixed amount. During student years, respondents often spent 10 to 30 dollars, describing the money as saved from lunch money or monthly allowances. In the early career stage, budgets rose to around 50 to 100 dollars. Once economically stable, many respondents spent 100 to 300 dollars. A few higher-income respondents imagined future experience-based gifts, such as trips to Dubai or luxury watches, with budgets reaching several thousand dollars.

“Yeah. So, like, most of the time, it's an online order because we live far away. And then I call him that I have ordered, like, something for you. You can collect it from the delivery boy. He's wearing a ticket, then he's surprised. He, like, he then I'm in the office, then I get to see the photo of that particular item in next fifteen, twenty minutes. He opens it. He, like, clicks the photo, uses it. Then then I video call him in the evening once I get free that how did you like the product and show me the product. How is it? Then it is very much self satisfying, if the if he likes the product.”

—— Krishan Kapor

- Budgets could also rise temporarily when fathers had special needs or health issues. Several respondents said that if their father had a health problem or truly needed something, they would not focus too strictly on the budget limit. One respondent mentioned that after their father was diagnosed with stage-four cancer, the gift logic shifted toward giving him whatever he wanted, as long as it was within the respondent’s ability. This shows how health crises can reshape consumption decisions.

“Of course there are limits, and there are things I can and cannot do, so I cannot say I would absolutely do anything no matter what. I do not know what would happen. But if it is something I can do within an acceptable range, I would want to do it.”

—— Yuko Wakasugi

- Online shopping became the leading channel. Most respondents mentioned Amazon, online malls, or e-commerce platforms as their main purchase routes. The key reasons were the ability to compare prices, a wider product selection, and convenience. One Japanese respondent contrasted the earlier habit of going to stores or checking catalogues before online shopping became common with the current practice of buying online, noting that the biggest changes were increased variety and price transparency. Offline shopping mainly appeared when respondents wanted to handpick the gift or felt that buying in person showed more sincerity.

“Online, you can compare things and choose cheaper options, so that feels completely different.”

—— Katsunori Sato

- Personalized and customized gifts received polarized responses. Some American respondents said they were willing to try custom photo books, engraved items, or personalized experiences such as golf lessons, because these gifts could better express thoughtfulness. By contrast, East Asian and South Asian respondents showed lower acceptance. Japanese respondents directly said they would not consider customization, while Indian respondents worried that a customized gift might not be useful to their father and therefore preferred ready-made practical items.

- A small number of respondents discussed the hypothetical scenario of what they would do if their budget doubled. Answers varied significantly. Practicality-oriented respondents said they would buy a more advanced version of a practical item, such as upgrading from an ordinary razor to an electric razor. Experience-oriented respondents said they would arrange travel or a larger event. A few respondents clearly said they would not change anything because their fathers did not care about price.

“Yeah. Initially, he thanks me. Like, he praises a lot, about the product and the functionality of the product. He shows me the various, features and, like, from each of the features, he then thanks me for giving him that particular product.”

—— Krishan Kapor

The Evolution of Gift Choices: From Early Attempts to Mature Strategies

Respondents’ gift choices followed a clear developmental path: from emotional expression to practical care, from passive imitation to active observation, and from economic constraint to greater ability. In childhood, most gifts were handmade cards or small items made under a mother’s guidance. In adolescence, respondents began using allowances or part-time income to purchase gifts independently. In adulthood, they developed more mature strategies based on observing fathers’ real needs. Changes in family role, especially becoming a parent, were important turning points that led respondents to reinterpret fatherhood and the meaning of Father’s Day. Although improved economic capacity changed the price range of gifts, most respondents emphasized that the emotional meaning of the gift did not change.

- First gift experiences in childhood commonly involved imitation and guidance. Many respondents said their first Father’s Day gifts were handmade cards, drawings, or small purchased items completed with help from their mothers. American respondents mentioned school Father’s Day activities such as making cards or drawings. Indian respondents recalled using pocket money to send cards to fathers’ offices. Japanese respondents described the childhood tradition of writing letters to fathers. These early experiences established the basic pattern of gift-giving.

“If my mom or my cousins listed a gift and I'm not sure, their way carries a lot, like fifty fifty. If I'm unsure with their decision, then I can just buy my own gift and gift them, but also contribute to their gift. So it becomes fifty fifty, and I'm also good on their side, and I'm also good on my side.”

——  Ani Debbarma

“I feel like the very first time I don't even remember, but maybe it was someone, like, elementary school student or something. I feel like most of the cases, my oldest sister will suggest something, and then I would be involved in that. And I think that, well, that was the letter for the first time. I just don't really remember it much, though.”

—— Rin Midorikawa 

- The transition from adolescence to young adulthood marked a shift from passive imitation to active choice. The key drivers were economic independence, such as part-time jobs or salaries, and a growing understanding of fathers’ preferences. Respondents began using their own income to buy more practical gifts, such as clothing or razors, and adjusted their strategies based on fathers’ reactions. Seeing gifts thrown away or left unused became an important trigger for the shift toward practical gifts.

“Like I said before, he will definitely tell me that, I can also do such things or, how I thought about it, or do you also know how to give such gifts? That's how he will usually say and make fun of it.”

—— Ani Debbarma

“I think that they're not blending together for me. However, they they carry his needs and others for experiencing his feelings and emotions. For me, we'll carry it till the future. I know that. So that's the reason I'm continuing that much.”

—— Vishal Logani

- Becoming a parent was mentioned by several respondents as an important turning point in understanding Father’s Day. After having children, respondents began to move from the role of receiving fatherly love to the role of giving fatherly love. This change allowed them to understand their fathers’ efforts and sacrifices more deeply. One Indian respondent began to take Father’s Day more seriously after having a child, while an American respondent said becoming a father helped him truly understand the meaning of unconditional love.

“Becoming a mother makes me feels father’s day more special.”

—— Nitya Sharma

“Because now I understand what it means to love your child because you love the good and the bad in them. As much as I love my babies, they’re not perfect. No person is, and they’re gonna mess up at times. But I guess that’s what it’s called, unconditional love.”

—— Noel Tica

“I feel like it just made it more important to me. I think because I started to understand the sacrifices he made and everything he did for us.”

—— Patryja McCoy

- The main change brought by improved economic capacity was an expanded price range, not a change in the meaning of the gift. Most respondents explicitly said that although they could now buy more expensive things, the intention behind gift-giving remained the same. Greater economic ability mainly allowed them to purchase a higher-quality version of something their father truly needed, rather than changing the essence of the gift. A small number said they hoped to provide major experience-based gifts, such as luxury travel, in the future, but that their current finances did not yet allow it.

“I wouldn't necessarily say that my approach has changed… my gifts budget has kind of increased… I'm able to splurge a bit more.”

—— Whitney Evans

“I think I just upgraded, like, what I was already buying because I could afford it.”

—— Patryja McCoy

“I can book a trip for him and my mother. But… for that, I have to earn more…”

—— Krishan Kapor

- Some respondents expected that future gift choices might change, mainly because of fathers’ health conditions or the respondent’s own family-role transitions. One respondent expected that as their father aged, health-related gifts might become more important. Another expected that if the relationship improved, they might begin directly asking their father what he wanted. Others said that if their father’s health declined seriously, gift-giving might shift toward fulfilling his final wishes.

 “No, not at the moment. No.”

—— Katsunori Sato

“I do not particularly want to change anything. But if his health really became worse, and it seemed like things were reaching a serious point, I would want us to be able to speak more openly. If I could understand through conversation what he wanted or what he wanted me to do, then I would want to give him what he wished for.”

—— Shruti Rajvanshi

“Yeah, I don’t really have a strong desire to change anything in particular. But if his health really gets worse, and it reaches a point where things seem truly serious, then I would hope we could speak more openly and honestly. I would want to understand what he wants, or what he wants me to do for him.If we could figure that out through conversation, then I would want to give him whatever he wishes for.”

—— Yuko Wakasugi

Emotional Expression and Gifts as Emotional Carriers: Cross-Cultural Differences in “Actions Speak Louder Than Words”

Respondents’ emotional expression showed clear cross-cultural differences and patterns of intergenerational transmission. American respondents generally said “I love you” to their fathers every day, making Father’s Day gifts an addition to existing emotional expression. Japanese and Indian respondents rarely or never said this phrase directly to their fathers, which made gifts the main or even only carrier of emotion. Fathers’ reactions also differed culturally: Western fathers were more likely to respond with “I love you too” and a hug; East Asian fathers were more likely to remain quiet or respond through actions, such as using the gift or showing it to others; South Asian fathers often expressed gratitude indirectly through the mother or by showing the gift to neighbors. The interview exercise of saying “I love you” to the camera further highlighted this contrast: East Asian and South Asian respondents repeatedly described the process as awkward, embarrassing, strange, or cringeworthy, while Western respondents found it natural and comfortable.

- Cultural differences in daily emotional expression formed the basic context for gift meaning. American respondents almost unanimously said that they say “I love you” every day. In this context, Father’s Day gifts serve more as an enhancement or reminder. By contrast, Japanese respondents said things like “our family does not say these words” or that saying “I love you” in Japanese feels too much like something between romantic partners. Indian respondents said that love is usually verbalized between spouses, not between parents and children. In these cultural contexts, gifts became the only acceptable way to express emotion.

“I think there is a change in the next generation with a more modern approach and the Western approach that has come nowadays. So I think my child would say, ‘Love you.’ She would hesitate initially. But again, it is a part of culture. If she has not seen me telling my father ‘love you,’ she would not say it. But if I am saying ‘love you’ to my wife and she notices it, then she might say ‘love you’ to me also, because I have not seen my father say ‘love you’ to my mother. So that is also the reason we do not say it to him.”

—— Krishan Kapor

- Fathers’ reactions to gifts reflected cultural and generational patterns of emotional expression. Western fathers more often said “thank you,” “I love this,” or gave a hug immediately. East Asian fathers might look at the gift, smile quietly, and avoid eye contact. South Asian fathers might pass on thanks through the mother or proudly show the gift to neighbors. Respondents commonly said they had become used to judging whether their father liked a gift through his behavior rather than waiting for verbal confirmation.

“He smiles to himself. He does not look at anybody, but he smiles when he looks at the stuff.”

—— Caitlin Rooney

“No, he responds sometimes. He says thank you.”

—— Katsunori Sato

- The extent to which gifts carried emotion differed across cultures. South Asian respondents directly stated that “the gift carries the emotions.” One Indian respondent described giving a heater not merely as providing a heating device, but as sending his warmth to his father across distance. Some American respondents, however, described the gift as “just a tangible reminder” of love that had already been spoken. Japanese respondents showed a more contradictory pattern: they wanted gifts to convey emotion, but some also said they did not consciously give gifts with gratitude.

“The gift carries the emotions.”

—— Nitya Sharman

“It is more just a tangible reminder of what is already spoken. We do not need to say all that stuff, but we do, and it just comes naturally. We already know it. So it is just a reminder.”

—— Caitlin Rooney

“I do not really feel that I am sending it with a special sense of gratitude.”

—— Yuko Wakasugi

- The “I love you, Dad” exercise became the most direct display of cultural difference. American respondents generally completed the expression smoothly and described it as natural or as something they say every day. Japanese respondents described the process as weird, embarrassing, or awkward; one said it was the first time in their life they had said “I love you” to their father. Indian respondents similarly described it as cringe or uncomfortable, and said their fathers would also feel embarrassed if they heard it.

“It felt a little bit cringe from my side, and I cringe a bit.”

—— Abi Debbarma

“I mean, I don’t think I’m ready to speak it.”

—— Shruti Rajvanshi

- Some respondents mentioned written messages or emails as substitutes for oral emotional expression. One Japanese respondent recalled writing a long email to their father more than ten years earlier while living overseas. In the email, they thanked him for raising them, supporting their education abroad, and allowing them to pursue what they loved. The father printed and saved the email, but the respondent said they did not want to open his reply. Other respondents wrote longer messages in Father’s Day cards because writing felt easier than speaking.

 “I do not think I have ever said it directly. But once, probably around ten years ago, or more than ten years ago, when I was living overseas, I sent an email. I wrote a fairly long message thanking him for raising me, for letting me go to school and university overseas, and for allowing me to do what I wanted. I also wrote that if something happened before I could properly repay him as a child, I was sorry. I told him not to think about leaving money to me, and to use his money freely however he wanted.”

—— Yuko Wakasugi

Ritual Closing: Cross-Cultural Psychological Differences in the “I Love You” Moment

The final interview exercise, in which respondents were asked to say “I love you, Dad” to the camera, functioned as an emotional breakthrough experiment. It revealed different levels of acceptance, comfort, and internal conflict across cultural contexts. Western respondents generally completed the phrase naturally, with some adding lines such as “thank you for everything” or “you did a good job.” East Asian and South Asian respondents showed more visible psychological struggle: many moved from “I do not want to say it” or “this is too strange” to eventually completing the sentence. Afterward, they often described the experience as awkward, embarrassing, or cringeworthy. Some said it was the first time in their lives they had said this to their fathers. A few respondents refused directly or used English instead of their mother tongue to reduce the emotional intensity, showing that language choice itself can become a strategy for managing emotion.

Western respondents’ natural expression and emotional extension served as the comparison group. Most American respondents said “I love you, Dad” fluently, and some added expressions such as “thank you for everything,” “you did a good job,” or “I appreciate you.” When asked how it felt, they often answered “good,” “natural,” or “meaningful,” consistent with their everyday habit of saying the phrase.

“I love you, Dad.”

—— Kerra Martin

“I appreciate that you are still taking care of me when I am 44 years old, and I will always love you.”

—— Caitlin Rooney

“I love you, Dad.”

—— Emily Cunningham

East Asian respondents’ strong resistance and emotional conflict stood in sharp contrast. Several Japanese respondents hesitated visibly before speaking. One repeated that it felt “weird” twice before completing the sentence, and later said it felt very strange and that it was the first time they had ever told their father “I love you.” Another initially refused, saying they did not feel ready to say it, and only completed the sentence in English after encouragement from the interviewer. They explained that saying it in Japanese would feel even stranger, as if it belonged to romantic relationships.

“Yeah. I love you, fat guy.”

—— Otto Zepeda

“Dad, I love you.”

—— Katsunori Sato

“I don't think it's just never gonna be a part of how my family is gonna work. But if I would say it, I would probably say, like, oh, I love you. Like, you know, like, with using English, but not Japanese. Like, Japanese just makes it feel, like, way more weird, like, more, like, romantic way.”

—— Rin Midorikawa

- South Asian respondents’ descriptions of embarrassment revealed deeper cultural taboos around direct emotional expression. After completing the exercise, Indian respondents frequently used the word “cringe” to describe the feeling. One said it felt cringeworthy from their side. Another said that if they said this to their father, their father would also feel cringe because emotional expression was not common at home. Others described the experience as uncomfortable and expected their fathers to feel shocked or embarrassed if they heard it.

“I think he will be shocked and cringe a little bit because I said those words because, I don't show much of myself emotionally in my family.”

—— Ani Debbarma

“I love you, Papa.”

—— Krishan Kapor

- The breakthrough significance of saying the phrase for the first time was mentioned by several respondents. One 22-year-old Japanese female respondent clearly stated that this was the first time in her life she had said “I love you” to her father. The interviewer responded that this took real courage. Another Indian female respondent said she had never said this to her father before and that this would be her first time expressing it so directly. This “first time” quality turned the interview itself into a moment of emotional icebreaking.

“Maybe I might say it in person.”

—— Nitya Sharma

“Yeah. Thank you so much. That was very weird moment. I think it was my first time to say I love you, my dad. That's”

—— Rin Midorikawa