Japanese women splurge for Valentine's Day

“I hope I get given French chocolate,” joked banker Teruaki Noda, 38. “If my girlfriend is stingy again this year, she won’t get anything on White Day.”

Now there's a real catch. And who says romance is dead in Japan?

jerseyboy Feb. 14, 2015 - 06:38AM JST And who says romance is dead in Japan?

Japan’s population shrank by its largest amount on record in 2014. Maybe the romance is alive one day out of the year. Ladies go deep on Valentine's day.

It's interesting that feelings of love, perhaps leading to marriage and children, is represented by chocolate, some of which is made from cocoa that comes from plantations in Côte d'Ivoire using child workers who have been sold into slavery.

http://www.terry.ubc.ca/2013/11/26/child-slavery-the-bitter-truth-behind-the-chocolate-industry/

Hi been singl very long time. Searching for a girlfriend that into money want true love

Forget the candy! In the US we flock to adult lover shops and buy the most inappropriate gifts. Get your head out of hello kitty and into the gutter where it belongs on Valentine's Day.

warispeace Excellent point but probably, sadly, lost on most. Of course the other problem with chocolate is that most of it that will be purchased for Valentine's Day will be milk chocolate, made from the suffering of millions of cows.

Happy Valentine's Day!!! Now, let me run and hide from the madness.

When Feb 14th falls on the weekend, do women at your workplace still give the men something on Monday? When it happened in 2010 last time, we got nothing. White day will also fall on a weekend this year.

It's supposed to be a two-way street. Love is as love does, not gets. As for chocolate, melt a little bit, spread it on your lover and go for it.

Its a far cry from the Western version indeed. But here, we live in a male dominated society so its no wonder why Valentines is tailored towards the man when it should be the exact opposite.

Chocolate is simply one of the most exquisite decadent pleasures a human being can have. Each shop in Brussels has the audacity to melt the customer at the knees with out apology. Merciless they are that way. One small cup of hot chocolate was the model god built heaven on, or so it has been rumored.

"Chocolate has been available in Japan since the late 18th century, when Dutch traders—the only Europeans allowed a foothold in an otherwise closed country—gave it to prostitutes as a form of payment." They are all working in the porn industry now. Pity because because I got a lot of chocolate today. Really exquisitely decorated boxes too.

When Feb 14th falls on the weekend, do women at your workplace still give the men something on Monday? When it happened in 2010 last time, we got nothing. White day will also fall on a weekend this year.

I got some chocolate at work on Friday. I doubt they would do it on Monday after the fact, so if you didn't get any giri-chocolate yet, your out of luck!

Chocolate is simply one of the most exquisite decadent pleasures a human being can have.

Most of the people, including slave children, who do the hard labour of climbing trees for cacao have never even tasted chocolate. I don't think most of those who enjoy the "decadent pleasure" of it even know just how decadent (meaning in a state of decline or decay) the system that produces such inequality is, as this is masked by marketing that makes so many women in Japan "jostle feverishly for elbow room".

At my first job in Japan, I got in trouble for forgetting to give choccies to one of my students, an elderly man. He called the school and complained, and I was ordered to apologize and buy a small gift for him. Have disliked VD every since.

Get your head out of hello kitty and into the gutter where it belongs on Valentine's Day.

That's what Christmas is for!

@Tessa.

What an awful story. Poor you! But yeah, typical Japan.

Its a far cry from the Western version indeed. But here, we live in a male dominated society so its no wonder why Valentines is tailored towards the man when it should be the exact opposite.

Valentines as it is here was created by business critters and advertised to the point to make all women feel obligated to give to guys, then White Day came along.....it's all business, and the typical Japanese way of everyone doing it because of tradition gets played out ad naseum every year.

'Forget the candy! In the US we flock to adult lover shops and buy the most inappropriate gifts. Get your head out of hello kitty and into the gutter where it belongs on Valentine's Day.'

Judging by what I see on the train, at the kiosks, the amount of porn made and sold here and the conversations of my coworkers, perhaps one day out of the gutter isn't such a bad thing.

At my first job in Japan, I got in trouble for forgetting to give choccies to one of my students, an elderly man. He called the school and complained, and I was ordered to apologize and buy a small gift for him

Tessa, please don't make up stories for Japan bashing. Nobody complains schools just because female teachers do not give him chocolate. Or you must be hiding some details which could justify his action like the school had collected chocolate money from all male students or something.

Being single I won't get choco, said that on the 15th &16th you can find the valentines day choco VERY cheap in Japan.

So all choco fans get those shopping bags ready.

In my home country we follow neither the US nor Japanese custom.

So where's the chocolate?! Better yet, chocolate edible skivvies!

Chocolate has been available in Japan since the late 18th century, when Dutch traders—the only Europeans allowed a foothold in an otherwise closed country—gave it to prostitutes as a form of payment. Times have changed

Yeah, it's not just ho's anymore

@ Tessa - Have disliked VD ever since.

Ah, I got it the second time round. VD stands for Valentine's Day, right? :D

This tradition in Japan was created by the chocolate makers around 40 years ago. I saw a middle-aged women buy 200 bucks worth of chocolates yesterday. It was ten or fifteen different boxes of chocolates. I'm gonna guess they were for her workplace and possibly family as well. It's just nuts to me!

"It’s a far cry from the Western version of Valentine’s Day"

Should read "It’s a far cry from the original and correct version of Valentine’s Day"

@Tessa Did that old man give you chocolates on White Day?

Japanese women splurge for Valentine's Day

Mine didn't.

All these Japanese women going shopping for valentines junk is nothing to do with love, it is merely yet another ritual they enjoy being obliged to do.

Well I guess I married the wrong Japanese woman! I splurged and all I got was a six pack of beer and a sweater,she is so Americanized!

"It’s a far cry from the Western version of Valentine’s Day"

Should read "It’s a far cry from the original and correct version of Valentine’s Day"

Wait, are you thinking that the western version of Valentine's Day is the original? Hahahahahahahaha

“I hope I get given French chocolate,” joked banker Teruaki Noda

Ha ha! Everyone knows Belgian chocolate be the best!

Ah, I got it the second time round. VD stands for Valentine's Day, right? :D

Yep, but I'm not a fan of the other one either. :-)

Did that old man give you chocolates on White Day?

No, come to think it, he didn't. I really should've lodged a complaint.

I am impressed by the Japanese ability to turn traditional native holidays and completely alien events like Valentines' and Christmas into vehicles for inducing gift-giving. Maybe Abe Shinzo should work out an arrow that exploits this proclivity.

I wonder do the girls get to eat any of the chocolate, or do the guys eat it all, and what about mixed race couples with western male and japanese women or vice versa, I could never get used to the idea of not giving flowers and chocolates on this day.

@Strangerland, every historical text in regards to patron saints & religious holidays indicate that St VD is a western European creation.

Anyhow, the whole day no matter where it is held seems more like an obligation or chore rather than an actual expression of love. I'd rather spoil my significant other on a day where they weren't expecting it.