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Japan's women take the lead on Valentine's Day
Source: Agencies |
February 15, 2011, Tuesday
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EVER since Valentine's Day took off in Japan some 40 years ago, the holiday has been celebrated with a twist: women buy chocolates and gifts for men, including bosses and colleagues as well as lovers and spouses, instead of the other way round.
These days, a growing number of Japanese women are taking the Cupid out of Valentine's Day by exchanging carefully selected or hand-crafted gifts with female friends.
"I go to buy good chocolates with my close friends to enjoy together," said 26-year-old Ai Shibata, who works at an advertising company and was buying chocolates for herself and colleagues at a busy subway station in central Tokyo.
"The expensive ones are usually for us to appreciate."
Nearly three out of four women in their teens and 20s plan to give "tomo-choco," or friendship chocolate, to their female friends this Valentine's Day, compared to just over 40 percent giving sweets to men for romantic reasons, according to a -survey by confectionery maker Ezaki Glico.
Major department stores have picked up on the trend, holding special Valentine's Day sales with "girls' collections" featuring cute and colorful chocolates, some shaped like flowers or rabbits, to expand the selection of sweets targeted at women wanting to give the confectioneries to other women.
Much of the chocolate given in the past was known as "giri-choco," or duty chocolates, which were those presented to male -colleagues or bosses.
But while men were expected to return the favor in March on "White Day," women frequently complained that this was not as universal as the presentation of chocolates on -Valentine's Day.
Shibata said she had no choice about buying chocolates for her colleagues, but that she planned to give her boyfriend handmade chocolate.
"Handmade means spending less money, which is great, but most of all the amount of feeling involved is more important than the -quality and the price."
These days, a growing number of Japanese women are taking the Cupid out of Valentine's Day by exchanging carefully selected or hand-crafted gifts with female friends.
"I go to buy good chocolates with my close friends to enjoy together," said 26-year-old Ai Shibata, who works at an advertising company and was buying chocolates for herself and colleagues at a busy subway station in central Tokyo.
"The expensive ones are usually for us to appreciate."
Nearly three out of four women in their teens and 20s plan to give "tomo-choco," or friendship chocolate, to their female friends this Valentine's Day, compared to just over 40 percent giving sweets to men for romantic reasons, according to a -survey by confectionery maker Ezaki Glico.
Major department stores have picked up on the trend, holding special Valentine's Day sales with "girls' collections" featuring cute and colorful chocolates, some shaped like flowers or rabbits, to expand the selection of sweets targeted at women wanting to give the confectioneries to other women.
Much of the chocolate given in the past was known as "giri-choco," or duty chocolates, which were those presented to male -colleagues or bosses.
But while men were expected to return the favor in March on "White Day," women frequently complained that this was not as universal as the presentation of chocolates on -Valentine's Day.
Shibata said she had no choice about buying chocolates for her colleagues, but that she planned to give her boyfriend handmade chocolate.
"Handmade means spending less money, which is great, but most of all the amount of feeling involved is more important than the -quality and the price."
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