Valentine’s Day in Japan

Women give the men in their life gifts of chocolate on Valentine’s Day. The reason dates back to the 1950s . A marketing company campaign aimed at “westernizing” the holiday in Japan created a slogan that was translated wrong instead of reading “Giving chocolates on Valentine’s Day is a way for men to express their love” it read “Giving chocolate on Valentine’s Day is a way for women to express their love for a man.” Women are now expected to give chocolate to the men in their life. However, their efforts and gestures do not go unnoticed.

The Valentine’s Day tradition has several different classifications of chocolate and women have guidelines to which they are to follow.

Giri-Choco- “Obligation Chocolate” A chocolate gift given to friends, family members and bosses. This type of chocolate is a small recognition of gratitude and is always store bought.

Honmei-Choco- “Romantic Chocolate” Chocolate you give to a husband, boyfriend or one you are romantically involved with. This chocolate needs to be special, elaborate in flavors, size and is homemade.

Jibun-Choco- This is store bought chocolate they buy for themselves as an acknowledgment of a job well done. They did as they needed to do. “A Sweet Reward”

Tomo-Choco- This chocolate is less traditional than others. This is chocolate to be “shared” with other female friends. A mini celebration “Girls Night Out” after Valentine’s Day.

Gyaku-Choco- “Reverse Chocolate” not very common. However, a man can give a small chocolate token to a woman on Valentine’s Day to spark the excitement of “White Day.”

White day is on March 14th , one month after Valentine’s Day. It is considered the most romantic Japanese holiday. Men are required to shower the females in their life with 3x a much white chocolate and lavish, expensive gifts. White day was given its name from a confection shop in reference to marshmallows. This day represents absolute pure love and devotion and a sign of appreciation for the handmade chocolate they received the month before on Valentine’s Day. To put White Day into numbers an average of 500 million dollars is spent on White Day gifts and lavish gestures.

A simple mishap in wording has made a huge cultural and economic impact in Japan in regards to Valentine’s Day and all of its expectations and traditions.