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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. The next year, they promoted the idea that “women give chocolates to men.” In the 1960s, the confectionery company Morinaga started selling more chocolates during Valentine’s season. Over time, this idea became popular, and women giving chocolates on Valentine’s Day in Japan became a common tradition. 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. 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 In most places celebrating Valentine’s Day, women can expect chocolates, flowers and a romantic dinner from their partner. However, in Japan, it’s the opposite: women give chocolates to the men in their lives—from their boyfriends to their coworkers—although not all chocolates are equal. The special men in their lives receive honmei choco, “true feeling” chocolates, while 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 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! 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 White Day happens exactly one month after Valentine’s Day on March 14th, and is basically a reply day for Valentine’s Day. 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. The holiday gained popularity in Japan around 1958, but it was in the late 1970s that Valentine’s Day became a part of Japanese society. The “Japanese-style Valentine’s Day” also emerged, where women express affection by giving chocolates to men. History of Valentine’s Day in Japan. The history of Valentine’s Day in Japan dates back to the 1950s, much later than the West. This is because many confectioners and department stores started campaigns around that time! Their main demographic was women who wanted to buy chocolate for husbands and boyfriends. 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". This is the case in Japan. How do they celebrate Valentine’s Day in Japan? The beginnings of this festivity come from 1936, when a confectioner placed an advertisement for the edition of an English-language newspaper called Japan Advertiser for February 12th, where it suggested readers give chocolates as a Valentine’s Day gift. An older tradition states that the first man that a single woman spots on Valentine's Day will become her husband within the year. Japan. The Japanese associate February 14 with one thing: chocolate. Some estimates suggest that Japanese chocolatiers make half of their yearly income from Valentine's Day sales. In Japan, Valentine’s Day is celebrated in a unique way: women take the lead in expressing their affection. They gift chocolates to men, with different types of chocolates signifying different How do you celebrate Valentine's Day and White Day in Japan? By Aaron Baggett Feb 7, 2022 4 min read In most places celebrating Valentine’s Day , women can expect chocolates, flowers and a romantic dinner from their partner. (Source: Kayla Speid/Unsplash) Like in most every Valentine's Day-celebrating country in the world, chocolates take center stage in Japan. But Japan has put its own unique spin on Valentine's Day chocolates in that, different types of chocolates can mean different things and are therefore given based on the giver's relationship with the receiver. 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.
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