February 14th is the day of love! And who doesn’t love love? 💖
I suppose some people may think that Valentine’s day is just another over-commercialised holiday, and that we should show our affection to our loved ones all year round, not just this one day… But actually, I think it’s a great excuse to go the extra mile and treat those you love.
After all, there’s no harm welcoming a little extra love in our lives.
Each culture has their own way of celebrating Valentine’s Day and expressing love for one another, and Japan dedicates not one, but two days of the year to this love-ly holiday!
Here’s everything you need to know about Valentine’s Day in Japan, and its companion holiday, White Day.
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Valentine’s Day in Japan (February 14th)
Valentine’s Day in Japan (バレンタインデー / barentain dee), like the rest of the world, is all about expressing your love to your nearest and dearest! Though, there are slight differences to the Valentine’s customs in the West:
In Western countries, the effort is generally put in by both parties – though often, more effort is expected from the man in the relationship. Valentine’s day is his chance to go all out and spoil his significant other with gifts and affection.
Although you might not agree with the concept, Valentine’s Day in Japan is actually a day to give gifts to men, from women!
What’s more, in Japan it is seen as the woman’s responsibility to give gifts to all the males in her life – not only her love interest!
What to gift on Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day in Japan is very chocolate-centric. It is not as common to gift jewellery, teddy bears or flowers in Japan as it is to gift chocolate.
This is probably due to the fact that Valentine’s Day began in Japan with high school students. 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.
These days, in the lead up to Valentine’s Day, you can find love-themed chocolates, cafe treats and beverages everywhere. There are even restaurants advertising special Valentine’s menus, including fried chicken covered in chocolate!
Depending on who you are offering a sweet sentiment to, there are a few different types of Valentine’s chocolates in Japan. It is important to know the difference, as you don’t want to give someone the wrong impression!
Types of Valentine’s chocolates in Japan
- Giri choco (義理チョコ / ぎりちょこ). Giri means ‘obligation’ or ‘duty’ and choco is of course an abbreviation of ‘chocolate’. Giri choco refers to a customary gifting of chocolate from a woman to the males in her life, but not in her inner circle. That may be co-workers, bosses, acquaintances etc. It is given to show respect and appreciation to that person, but not in a romantic way.
- Honmei choco (本命チョコ / ほんめいちょこ) is chocolate that you would gift to your romantic interest, with honmei representing ‘true’ or ‘genuine’. You would present honmei choco to your husband, boyfriend or crush. If you want to opt for store bought chocolate, you should purchase a higher quality, more expensive brand for your genuine valentine compared to what you would gift your obligatory valentines. That being said, it is also popular to make homemade chocolate treats as the effort put in to making them for that special someone makes them all the more delicious.
- Tomo is short for tomodachi (友達 / ともだち), meaning friend in Japanese. Tomo choco (友チョコ / ともちょこ) as the name suggests, is chocolate which you offer to your dear friends! These days, honmei choco and tomo choco are the most common types of offerings on this day of love. Giri choco has recently fallen out of popularity, with women stating they feel pressured into spending money for chocolates to give to their male colleagues and even feeling like they may see consequences if they don’t. Due to the power dynamics in the workplace, many companies find the practice inappropriate and do not allow it to take place. So, tomo choco has taken its place as a more wholesome way to show love to the people around you, not because you feel a social obligation but simply because you love them!
White Day in Japan (March 14th)
Now, if you were thinking, “that’s a little unfair that the guys get all the gifts!” – don’t worry, because just a month later, on March 14th is when men are supposed to reciprocate all the love they received on Valentine’s Day.
This ‘reverse’ Valentine’s Day has been dubbed ‘White Day’ (ホワイトデー / howaito dee) As the name suggests, the gifts are traditionally white in colour. For example, white chocolate, marshmallows or white flowers.
It is also expected for the White Day gift to be two to three times more expensive than the gift received by the man just a month earlier.
Express your love in Japanese
If you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day or White Day with a Japanese honey this year, make sure to check out these posts for the vocab you’ll need!
- How to Say I Love You in Japanese
- Japanese Terms Of Endearment: Cute Nicknames for Lovers and Friends!
- Top Japanese Quotes About Love (for When Romance is in the Air!)
- 16 Japanese Love Words for Romance and Dating
For more everyday Japanese language and culture, our top recommended course is JapanesePod101. Try it out for free!
JapanesePod101 is our top recommendation to learn Japanese online. We love the fun, current audio lessons and interactive online tools. Sign up for your free lifetime account and see for yourself!
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Hannah is a half Irish/half Japanese girl living in Ireland. Her love for Japan and the Japanese language led her to studying languages and translation in university where she specialised in Japanese. She spent a year studying abroad at Rikkyo University in Tokyo. In her free time, Hannah enjoys using her sewing machine to upcycle clothes and create new pieces!