Valentine's Day in Japan and Japanese Chocolates

On Valentine's Day, Japanese women give chocolate to men. Men give gifts to women on March 14th called White Day. This tradition started as a marketing tool for chocolate companies in Japan. Japanese women are encouraged to express love to men by giving chocolate and other gifts on February 14th.

Grocery stores, department stores, and convenience stores sell many different kinds of domestic and imported chocolate. More than half of the chocolate sold in a year is sold around Valentine's Day in Japan. Women buy chocolate for their co-workers, bosses, male friends, brothers, father, husband, boyfriends, and so on.

Chocolate given to men whom women don't feel special love are called "giri (obligation)-choco (chocolate)" in Japanese. Chocolate given to co-workers and bosses are usually considered as giri-choco. Many men feel embarrassed if they don't receive any chocolate on Valentine's Day. Women usually make sure to give giri-choco to men around them so that they don't feel left out. The average price range for a giri-choco is from 200 yen to 500 yen each.

Women tend to give special gifts, such as neckties and clothes with chocolate to those men whom they love. Chocolate given to a special man from a woman is called "honmei (prospective winner)-choco." Honmei-choco is more expensive than giri-choco and is sometimes homemade. It's lucky if a man could receive a honmei-choco. Green tea chocolate ball is a choice for Valentine gifts.

Popular Japanese chocolate brands are glico, Meiji, and Morinaga. They make many delicious chocolates and sell them in attractive packages.

You can buy some kinds of Japanese chocolate on line. Visit Japanese Food Online Links.

Happy Valentine's Day!