Have heard of chocolates being given to idols but never expected to receive chocolates *from* an idol ^^;
This is Ayumi Hotta from the Primaries giving me some valentines chocolates last Monday - to the folks who asked what was in the orange bag in the 4 hours in Akihabara article - now you know ^^;
So whats Valentines day like in Japan?
Just like Christmas in Japan, Valentines day is all about the monies.
The beginnings of Valentines day in Japan started in 1936. A chocolate maker called Morozoff Limited put an ad in a magazine for "Valentine Chocolate." Valentines day then traditionally became a day where women would give chocolate to men. 25% of Japans annual chocolate consumption is consumed around Valentines day.
To make more monies from Valentines day, the Japanese invented "White Day" as an excuse for men to buy candy to give to women in return for the chocolate that they received - theres even an official White Day site.
The reason its called "White Day" is because the color of sugar (white) is the main ingredient for candy which was traditionally given on White Day - source from Wikipedia. These days however, one does not have to give candy and can be white chocolate or marshmallows but not bukkake.
The term "Giri Choco" is used to describe chocolate that is given as an obligation - like to ones superiors or boss. If you are managing ladies in Japan and receive chocolate from them then its probably not because she likes you but because she expects a pay rise come next evaluation season.
White Day takes place one month after Valentines day on the 14th of March.
