In Japan, women traditionally give chocolate to men on Valentine’s Day.
Japan’s Valentine custom developed in the 20th century through confectionery marketing rather than directly from a long-standing Japanese religious festival. Morozoff introduced Valentine’s Day promotion in Japan in 1936, while later campaigns by chocolate companies and department stores helped establish the practice. A 1958 Valentine sale at Tokyo’s Isetan department store was an important milestone.
The tradition became distinctive because women generally give the chocolates on February 14. The chocolate may be “honmei choco,” given to someone the giver loves romantically, or “giri choco,” traditionally given to male colleagues, bosses, friends, or acquaintances as an obligation or gesture of appreciation. Handmade chocolate is also associated with romantic gifts.
Men traditionally return the gesture on White Day, March 14, giving sweets or other presents to women. The older workplace custom of obligatory giri choco has weakened, however, as some women criticize its cost and social pressure. Even so, chocolate remains the canonical quiz answer.