Valentine’s Day in Japan
Posted by Craig at Feb 14th, 2005 in travel japan
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What you see are the gifts I received from my Japanese girl students today. My students are ages six and five.
In Japan, it’s a Valentine’s day custom to give chocolate to boys or men you like.
Also some Japanese ladies give chocolate to their boss at the office out of obligation because this is the day “all” girls should be giving chocolate. Today is the big day and the stores are full of ladies only, buying up all the chocolate.
Next month has a day called “white day” in Japan. This is the day boys and men buy chocolate for the girls or women they like or to return the gift they received on Valentine’s day from whoever.
Some of my female students in the past, expressed bitterness when talking about “The Chocolate obligation gift to their boss.” There is social pressure too on this day. If you’re a lady, other ladies will ask you “who did you buy Chocolate for?” Leaving you feeling like you have to buy for someone even though you don’t want to, but do just so you don’t have to lie when asked this question.
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Wow, so it’s the GIRL in Japan who experiences the Valentine’s Day pressure? Do the guys experience the same pressure on White Day?
it’s snowing…
oh yeah, chocolate. chocolate’s cool… I’m a chocoholic. I’m also Norwegian and we don’t really do V’day. do you just get chocolate or cards too?
Very interesting twist on the American version of Valentine’s Day.
Some of my female Japanese friends told me that they can’t stand the idea of “giri choco”, especially if they’re one of the few employees in a predominantly male work environment. I’m lucky that when I worked as a teacher at an eikaiwa, there were only two male teachers- and they were Canadian and Australian, so it wouldn’t have mattered too much if I didn’t get them anything. I still got them chocolates though, but because they were my friends- not because it was an obligation.