Monday, February 14, 2011

Valentine's Day in Japan

It's well-known that on Valentine's Day in Japan, girls give chocolate to boys.  I'm not sure why this is, but a cynic might suggest it's part of a general pattern of exploitation and submission of women in Japan.

On the other hand, I would never complain about beautiful women giving me chocolate.

Too bad Japanese chocolate is pretty ordinary.  Overpriced and tasteless, give me Cadbury any day.

I can't help picturing the thousands of stressed women lining up in crowded department store confectionary stores to get their 1200 yen box of chocolate wrapped and packed, only to take it home to hubby or bring it to the office and get it largely ignored - Japanese men don't like chocolate much.

Most Japanese men casually accept and forget the 'giri' (obligatory) chocolate given to them by female coworkers, students, daughters-in-law, only being interested in the 'honmei' (genuine) product handed over by women who are serious about them. 

Of course the favour is supposed to be returned one month later, on White Day, when guys give chocolate to girls. 

Recently the trend is for women to cut out men altogether, buying chocolate for themselves and each other.  According to the Japan Times, this year 74% of women plan on giving chcolate to a female friend, called 'tomo' (friend) chocolate, but only 32% plan on buying something for a boyfriend.

I was very tempted, I confess, to twist that report and say that 74% of Japanese women indulged in wild lesbian encounters on Valentine's Day, using chocolate as an erotic stimulant.

Luckily I managed to restrain myself.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Japan has some awesome chocolate. I've only seen you eat "hyaku-en" chocolate, so I question your assessment.

Yokohama Michael said...

I must admit you have a point there