Aussie Japanese cherries

[NileCat]

Did I understand that correctly?

Yes, you did.
My dictionary defines the word 虚礼 as:
まごころからでなく、表面をとりつくろうためのみに行われる形式的な儀礼。
or
うわべばかりで誠意を伴わない礼儀。形式的な礼儀。

It isn't used for 敬語 and stuff. It usually mentions about more ritual-ish things such as お歳暮・年賀状・挨拶回り・祝儀・祝儀返し・etc.
Sending cherries cost $20 each to someone work-related is nothing but 虚礼 in my opinion. However, as long as we are living in a conventional society in a way, I understand the raison d'etre and I don't mean to attack it.

[two_heads_talking]

Sending cherries cost $20 each to someone work-related is nothing but 虚礼 in my opinion. However, as long as we are living in a conventional society in a way, I understand the raison d'etre and I don't mean to attack it.

I completely agree that it's overkill. But for a society that is so rigid with formality, how can one pick and choose which formalities are useless and which ones aren't? It's not as if Japan can just undo its history of tradition, even if much of that tradition is still steeped in a caste level system..