Valentines Day in Japan is the most common day of the year for girls to express their feelings towards a certain boy by giving chocolates and gifts known as honmei-choco (prospective winner chocolates). These honmei-choco are a show of love from that woman to the man she is giving them to. I should think it an honor to receive honmei-choco, and look forward to the day I receive one… uh! Back to the matter at hand!!!
For men in women’s daily lives, there is giri-choco (obligation chocolates).
These are commonly given to coworkers, bosses, and sometimes male friends. A recent third option is tomo-choco (friend chocolates), which are chocolates exchanged by a girl and her female friend.
The trade off to this chocolate pushing (instigated by Japanese chocolate companies) is that guys that get chocolates have to return the favor on March 14 (white day) with gifts of equal or greater value to the chocolates they received.
I hope this little article proved informative. Happy upcoming Valentine’s Day to everyone who isn’t allergic to chocolate!
Content submitted by
SFCC Japanese Club