Happy Valentine's day

Happy Valentine's day.
In Japan, we don't exchange presents. Only women gift chocolate to men. Even at work we have a custom that female workers give chocoate "Giri Chogo" away to guys. I pay 1000yen to a this year chocolate duty of our section, she bought demanded number of chocolate for guys. I will be able to say "no, I don't think so". But it means I refuse cooperative structure of women working at the same our floor. It will take something not fun :-p.

At work, of course we bought cheap chocolate as dutiful chocolate. Maybe one chocolate would be less than 500 yen or so. Actually there are chocolates which are labeled "duty". This label is more funny. "Don't misunderstand okay? Don't give me hot look over PC"

And girls buy expensive chocolate for her sweetheart. The hot-selling lines and most famous lines are Godiva, Demel, Theobroma, Jean-Paul Hevin, Wittamer.. Hmm They are all European chocolates. As for Japanese ones, I think this Chocolate 100% cafe is interesting. We can enjoy various chocolate menu and 50 kinds of chocolate. Their simple packages are good too.

By the way I can tell you Japanese Valentine's day might be a conspiracy by the sweets industry. And it's not only me, 70% of female workers wish the Valentine's Day custom would go away. I wonder about guys too, I heard about a 57year old guy who was taken into police custody for shoplifting, he got three valentine's chocolates. He might put on an impressive show to his family for just in case he wouldn't get any.

And funny part is Japanese women treat themselves on Valentine壮 Day. My friend said she bought some very expensive chocolate for her BF, just a little piece is over 500yen. But she was dissapointed to see her BF ate it in one bite and he didn't seem to get the value of it. She said such luxuary chocolates should be appriciated by her, not her BF.

Comments

[valentine's gifts philippines]

Wish i saw this blog earlier,anyway belated happy valentines day. Keep posting guys you have a very informative blog. :)

vee

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[harini]

hi mari,

nice to read ur blog... i was wondering how to interpret the gesture when a japanese guy gave me a box of wittamer white chocolates on white's day. i really liked this guy and had given him a valentine's day card on february 14th without knowing that i was supposed to give him only chocolate! And when he gave me chocolates i wasn't sure if they were giri chocos or honmoi chocos.. !! so thanks.. !

[Michael]

If I remember right, when I lived in Korea I learned women give chocolate to men and then men give sweets to women (on white day). My wife and I thought that was strange because isn't it women who are nuts about chocolate? I think the men and women should switch holidays so that the women get the chocolate first!

[Maiku]

I miss Jean-Paul Hevin chocos!

Great site btw.

[Mari]

Hi There
Yes, I have no idea why we have to have such stressful day. It can't be happy day anymore now. On 14 March, guys have to have the same stress for white day. Crazy isn't it?

[Cath Lee]

Hello! I'm back again, reading your blogs. What about White's Day? 14th March right? Please write about it too.

[ブルース]

(T.T) So much stress on Valentine's day.

Anyway, choco is good to eat. I like it! Here is the home of Hershey's.
http://www.hersheys.com/
There are many good recipes there.

I would never pay 500 yen for a little piece of chocolate. You can buy 1 kg of good choco for 500 yen so, choco from Europe does not interest me.

Read the recipe for chocolate brownies. Brownies are like a dense choco cake. You can add walnuts, pecans, almonds and, orange peel.
http://www.hersheys.com/recipes/recipes/search-results.asp?category_id=5&topten=1

Do you have cocao powder? It has no sugar or other sweetener and is commonly used as an ingredient.
http://www.hersheys.com/products/details/cocoa/images/cocoa_full_prod.jpg

[Johan]

Mari, I wrote about a similar topic the other day:

http://lostinjapan.groth.hm/archives/2006/02/valentines-day-in-japan/

I wasn't sure about that giri-choko thing though, very informative. I actually got a question from a coworker yesterday who had gotten some chocolate from female staff, and he wondered how he should interpret the gesture!

[faBu]

The best chocolate in the world http://www.lindt.com
The swiss one of course ;)

[Wan Zafran]

I heard that the Japanese have an equivalent of Valentine's Day, called White Day or something like that, where men give gifts to their women in return, is that true, Mari?

[Emma]

In America, today is mostly a day for men to give women stuff. Chocolate, flowers, stuffed animals, jewelry, lingerie...I think Americans spend $13 billion on Valentine's Day related items.

Of course, many single people (like myself) dislike this holiday. If you can even call it a holiday.

[AzianBrewer]

Valentine's Day is commercialized day anyway. And to have the ladies give me chocolate that is just wrong! I can buy my own chocolate.

[Joanna]

http://tokyo.metblogs.com/archives/2006/01/
http://tokyo.metblogs.com/archives/2006/02/
I found them!!! They are also plendid!
Good job, Mari and your friends!
I enjoy them soooooooooooo much!
I can do some publicity for your manazine. I think my friends will love your diary too.

[Joanna]

It seems that a certain part of the chocolate gifts is a sort of "duty" for Japanese women. But I still personally think it's good that you have this custom. In my point of view, it's a good way to show affection to schoolboys for schoolgirls. :-P In China, on Valentine's Day, men usually give their lovers roses and they dine out. Price of roses is sometimes unreasonable on this day.