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With the cooperation of local department store Iwataya, the first “White Day” was officially celebrated the following year in 1978, under the name ‘Marshmallow Day'. Give an unexpected gift to a Japanese person and see just how quickly a gift is returned! This played very nicely to the reciprocal nature of Japanese society and culture. That year, the company decided to market marshmallows to men as an “answer day” to Valentine's. Why don’t they give us something? A handkerchief, candy, even marshmallows…”īy this time, Valentine's Day had already started to permeate modern-day Japanese culture, yet it was clear that Valentine's Day was more popular with women, and it was they who were mostly purchasing gifts for men. The letter read, “It’s not really fair that men get chocolate from women on Valentine’s Day but they don’t return the favor. Zengo Ishimura, an executive of the company, was reading a women’s magazine looking for inspiration when one letter to the editor caught his attention. The idea of White Day in Japan was first conceptualized in 1977 by Ishimura Manseido, a Fukuoka-based confectionery company looking to increase sales. Read more about Valentine's Day in Japan and the various types of gift-giving here.
#VALENTINES DAY GIFTS FOR GAY MEN HOW TO#
The gifts one receives on Valentine's Day and the type is highly important to how to go about the process of return gift giving on White Day. How much is spent and the effort made depends on the type of gift being given (obligation, favorite or friend). In addition, they will often also give ‘friend chocolates', mostly to female friends to say thank you for their ongoing friendship. On Valentine's Day, women will give ‘obligation chocolates' to male co-workers, teachers, family members and friends, as well as ‘favorite chocolates' to a male partner or love interest (if they have one).
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There is a distinction though made on the gifts based on relationship and here's where it gets complicated.
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These gifts are essentially always edible, such as chocolates, sweets or baked goods. Valentine's Day is a way for women to acknowledge the men in their lives including co-workers, classmates, relatives and friends, and White Day is for men to reciprocate and give their thanks back.Ī man, single or not, may receive dozens of gifts on Valentine's Day, especially if they work in a large company or if they are still in school and receive something from all their female classmates. Unlike in Western culture, where Valentine's Day is generally only celebrated by couples, in Japan, neither holiday is considered to be exclusively romantic. A department store jewelry display showcasing necklaces for White Day. But as you will see, it isn't actually all that simple. This could be white chocolate or confectionery, white jewelry (silver, white gold, platinum), white handbags or accessories, or lotions or perfume. To put it simply, Valentine's Day in Japan is when women give chocolates or sweets to men, and White Day is when men reciprocate by giving “white”-themed gifts to women. So, why have two Valentine's Days and how are they different from one another? What is White Day in Japan? In addition to celebrating Valentine's Day on February 14th, Japan's 2nd Valentine's Day, known as White Day in Japan, occurs exactly one month after on March 14th. You may feel like one Valentine's Day a year is enough, but Japan's confectionery industry thinks otherwise.