A Guide to Valentines Day in Japan

A Guide to Valentine's Day in Japan Do you have any plans for Valentines Day? Is there a special way of spending this time in your culture? Learn how the day of love is celebrated in Japanese culture.   Gift-Giving In Japan, it is only the women who give presents to men. This is done because women are considered to be too shy to express their love. Though it might not  be true especially in  modern times, Valentines Day was thought to be a great opportunity to let women express their feelings. Chocolates Women typically give chocolates to men on Valentines Day. While chocolates are not necessarily the customary  gift  to give, this is a custom that smart chocolate companies have spread to boost their sales. This tactic  has been very successful. Now, chocolate companies in Japan sell more than half of their annual sales during the week before Valentines Day. Men are supposed to return gifts to women on a day called White Day (March 14th). This holiday is a Japanese creation. Giri-Choko But dont get too excited when you get chocolates from Japanese girls! They might be giri-choko (obligation chocolate). Women give chocolates not only to their loved ones. While a true love chocolate is called honmei-choko, giri-choko is the chocolate given to men such as bosses, colleagues or male friends that women have no romantic interest in. In these cases, the chocolates are given just for friendship or gratitude. The concept of giri is very Japanese. It is a mutual obligation that the Japanese follow when dealing with other people. If someone does you a favor, then you feel obligated to do something for that person. Valentines Cards and Expressions Unlike the West, sending Valentines cards is not common in Japan. Also, the phrase happy valentines is not widely used. On another note, happy birthday and happy new year are common phrases. In such cases, happy ~ is translated as ~ omedetou 㠁Šã‚ Ã£  §Ã£  ¨Ã£ â€ . The Color Red Which color do you think is the color of love? In Japan, many people would probably say it is red. Heart shapes are usually in red and red roses are also romantic gifts.   How do the Japanese see the color of red? How do they use it in their culture? Read  Japanese Conception of Red  to  learn the meaning behind the color red in Japanese culture and how it is used in society.