How do Japanese people celebrate Valentine's Day?

Answer 1

In Japan, Valentine's Day is celebrated a little differently than in America. On February 14, Valentine's Day is celebrated but on Valentine's Day only girls and women give a gift of chocolate to the boys and men around them. The guys' opportunity comes on White Day, a month later, on March 14th. The gifts of chocolate are divided into two types: Giri choco (obligatory chocolate) and Honmei choco (for that special someone.) Giri choco, the obligatory chocolate, is given to friends, acquaintances, classmates, superiors at work as well as to other male coworkers costing around $1 each. It is not unusual to buy 20 to 30 boxes of this type of chocolate. Honmei choco, for that special someone, is a much more expensive chocolate and is sometimes accompanied by an additional gift. The trend these days is for the girls to make their own chocolate gift for that special someone instead of buying it.

One month later, the men return the favor on "White day". The chocolates that the men give women are in white wrapping - hence the name. If a girl gave a special box of chocolates to a guy she likes on Valentine's Day to announce to him that she likes him and the guy returns the favor on White Day, she knows that he likes her too. When Valentine's Day was originally brought to Japan, the Japanese women, being shy, had almost no other acceptable way to tell a guy that she liked him. The tradition caught on quickly and spread throughout Japan.

Needless to say, the approach of Valentine's Day is something that department stores and shops look forward to and promote with zeal because of its potential for sales. Large displays featuring chocolate, usually with heart shaped displays, begin gracing the floors of department stores from mid January or so.