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Japan also observes a unique reciprocal holiday on March 14th, known as White Day, where men return the favour to those who gifted them chocolates on Valentine’s Day. This was created by the confectionery industry in the late 1970s and has since become a firmly established part of our Valentine’s Day cycle. Valentine’s Day is celebrated on February 14th, while White Day in Japan is celebrated a month later, on March 14th. White Day was not actually established until the 1980s , when the Japanese National Confectionery Industry Association successfully campaigned to implement a ‘reply day’ for men to reciprocate the presents they received Valentine’s Day was not really celebrated in Japan until the 1950s when it became a trend for high school girls to take February 14th as an opportunity to confess their feelings to their crush. An offering of chocolate treats, either store bought or homemade, would have been the most cost effective option for a student. Like most holidays imported from the West, Valentine’s Day in Japan started as an attempt to encourage excessive spending. Morozoff Ltd., a Kobe-based confectionery company, first used the holiday to attract foreigners in 1936 but didn’t start producing heart-shaped chocolates until 1953. Men/people who received chocolate on Valentine’s Day are expected to return the favor by gifting chocolate to women/Valentine’s Day chocolate givers. White Day was not really a thing in Japan until the 1980s, and the color white is thought to be associated with purity, especially when it comes to innocent teenage love in Japanese culture. Valentine’s Day in Japan has a unique history and customs that many foreigners find interesting. According to the Japan Chocolate & Cocoa Association, this custom started in the 1950s. A chocolate company put up a handwritten “Valentine’s Sale” sign at Isetan department store in Shinjuku. As a matter of fact, Valentine's Day in Japan takes place in two steps: Valentine's Day (on February 14, initiated around 1958, by the confectionary brand Morinaga 森永); White Day (on March 14, a month later, initiated during the 1970's). Valentine's Day : gifts from women to men Despite the result, this is the very first Valentine’s Day event in Japan. 1960s. After the first event, Mary’s Chocolate researched the celebration of Valentine’s Day. Later, they succeeded in gradually spreading Valentine’s Day in the nation after started selling heart-shaped chocolate on that customers can ask to write their names. Valentine’s Day is known as the day when one expresses their love to that one special person. In Western countries it is common for both men and women to participate in a gift exchange. Often, the approaching date of February 14th causes men across the world to scramble, trying to pick out a gift, or plan the perfect date. However, in Japan, Valentine’s Day plays out a bit differently The tradition of giving chocolates on Valentine’s Day in Japan truly gained traction in the 1950s and matured further in the 1970s. Mary Chocolate, a leading confectionery, was among the pioneers that contributed to the popularization of this practice through strategic marketing campaigns. Celebrated on February 14, like other places in the world, during the weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day in Japan, you’ll see rows and rows of gift boxes, wax paper, ribbons and the like in every shade. Plus, there are veritable mountains of chocolates, sprinkles and other ingredients to tease over eager crowds of women. How giving chocolates on Valentine’s Day is evolving in Japan. only 12.5% of respondents said they plan to give anything to coworkers on Valentine’s Day. In the prepandemic era in 2020 In Japan, it is only the women who give presents (mainly chocolates) to men on Valentine's Day. Learn more about how the Japanese celebrate the day of love. Valentine’s Day was initially brought to Japan in the 1930s when a confectioner, Morozoff, placed an ad that targeted foreign residents of Japan. Other companies would attempt to ignite the Valentine’s Day flame in Japan, but it wasn’t until the 1970s that it found its place. Valentine’s Day in Japan is a day when romance, tradition, and sweet gestures come together. On this special day, you can find signs of love and warm affection everywhere, from mythology and natural symbols to unique gifts embodying Japanese culture's essence. These practices make Valentine's Day a fantastic celebration of love in all its forms! Japanese Valentine's Day is nothing like others. In Japan Valentine's Day is celebrated in a very unique style. It is the women who present gifts to men. There is a strong tradition of women giving chocolates to men on Valentines Day. There are two types of chocolates, "Giri-choco" (obligation chocolate), and "Honmei-choco". There are many countries around the world that celebrate Valentine’s Day or lovers day every February 14th. Although deeply rooted in its culture and traditions, Japan has also proved to be a country that is enormously open to adopting other festivities and incorporating them with its own, such as Halloween or Christmas. Valentine’s Day in Japan is a day when romance, tradition, and sweet gestures come together. On this special day, you can find signs of love and warm affection everywhere, from mythology and natural symbols to unique gifts embodying Japanese culture’s essence. These practices make Valentine’s Day a fantastic celebration of love in all its forms! There are several theories over the origin of Valentine’s Day in Japan, but it is widely believed to have arrived in Japan in the 1930’s. Morozoff, a famous Japanese confectionery company , started as a small chocolate shop in 1931 when it began a marketing campaign to encourage people to buy and send chocolates to loved ones on February 14th. The Evolution of Valentine’s Day in Japan. The earliest instance of Valentine’s Day in Japan came in 1935, when chocolate brand Morozoff, run by a Russian national out of Kobe, consciously decided to introduce the custom to the country. Morozoff began selling chocolate packaged in heart-shaped boxes, marketing them as sweethearts, “to
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