Explore everyday life in Japan
It’s Valentine’s Day in Japan. And that means chocolate, chocolate, chocolate.
More so than flowers, presents, and dates, Valentine’s Day in Japan is characterized by chocolate. So much so that beginning in January, department stores across the country fill up with displays of chocolates that have been made by famous chocolate makers from all over the world specifically for Japan’s Valentine’s Day.
If you are a woman in Japan and are hoping for a beautiful box of delicious chocolates from your boyfriend, husband, or mate, don’t hold your breath. Valentine’s Day in Japan is a one-way street. Unlike elsewhere in the world, men in Japan don’t buy chocolates, flowers, or presents for women on Valentine’s Day. It is only the women here who do the present giving.
If that sounds unfair to you, don’t worry. It’s not. You will most likely be rewarded in March for any gifts that you give on Valentine’s Day. That’s because Japan has a special holiday on March 14 called White Day. White Day is, essentially, the other half of Valentine’s Day. It is a day when men thank the women they received chocolates from by giving them gifts, often in the form of cakes, food, clothes, jewelry, etc.
This is an ongoing series that will explore various aspects of daily life in Japan. My hope is that this series will not only reveal to its followers, image by image, what Japan looks like, but that it will also inform its followers about unique Japanese items and various cultural and societal practices. If you are interested in getting regular updates about life in Japan, please consider following me at @boxcarblue. If you have any questions about life in Japan, please don’t hesitate to ask. I will do my best to answer all of your questions.