Valentine’s in Japan

It’s February, and love and romance is in the air with spring just around the corner.

In Japan, Valentine’s Day is celebrated in an unusual way. Typically, Valentine’s Day is observed by women who give presents to men, usually chocolates. But not all presents given on Valentine’s Day entail romance.  “Giri-choko” (義理チョコ, courtesy chocolate) are chocolates given to men who are either friends, colleagues, or bosses, and these symbolize friendship or gratitude, while “honmei-choko” (本命チョコ, chocolates of love) are given to men when romantic interest is involved.  A month after Valentine’s Day is White Day, when the men reciprocate.

The popularity of Valentine’s Day in Japan probably began in 1977 when the Ishimuramanseido confectionery company based in Fukuoka marketed marshmallows to men on March 14 and initially called it Marshmallow Day (マシュマロデー Mashumaro Dē). Several confectionery companies followed suit and began creating white chocolate specially made for March 14, which became known as White Day. This is a relatively young concept that started in Japan in 1978 by the National Confectionery Industry Association as an answer to Japan’s Valentine’s Day tradition. The idea was that on White Day, men who received either giri-choko or honmei-choko on Valentine’s Day should return the favor to the women by also giving them gifts such as marshmallows, white lingerie, jewelry, cookies, or white and dark chocolate.

Essentially, the tradition of Valentine’s Day in Japan is when women and girls usually give their men friends gifts of chocolate as an expression of love, social obligation, or courtesy, coincidentally on the same day when the whole world celebrates the month of love on the 14th of February. A month later, in a uniquely Japanese tradition, the men and boys who received the sweet tokens return the favor to the giver.