A Valentine's Post

Yes, I know, Valentine's Day was quite a while ago, 4 days I suppose, but bear with me. Valentine's Day in Japan is a special thing, just like all western holidays that get adopted here. I think the biggest difference about it is that the roles are reversed, it's the women giving the chocolate and the men receiving it. The jury is out on whether the boys actually like it or appreciate it. I'll explain that in a later post.

In the stores, on the lead up to Valentine's Day, there are lots of hearts and the usual flowery, romantic decorations. It's all to attract the women, who will be buying pre-made chocolates or chocolate-making supplies in large quantities. So the holiday is also a commercial enterprise in Japan, as it is back in North America. Luckily it seems to have been contained to mostly the candy companies, baking and confection supply companies, and the cute food-packaging industry. Flowers, stuffed animals, jewelry and cards are not important on this day (their time to shine is Christmas!).

The Chocolate:

There are four types of chocolate gifts on Valentine's Day: giri choco, tomo choco, honmei choco, and gyaku choco (I just learned about this last type!). The mind boggles at this well organized gift giving system. 

Giri choco:

This is obligation or duty chocolate (giri = duty). This is typically the cheapest chocolate, and it isn't handmade. This chocolate gift is reserved for the men that are in your life, but you don't necessarily have anything to do with them. For example, coworkers, bosses, office workers that help you out, the mail man, etc. I think this type of chocolate gift is kind of dying out as more and more women are becoming disenchanted with their male coworkers, especially those who aren't very nice. 

Tomo choco:

This type of chocolate is probably the most popular these days. It is friend chocolate (tomo is short for tomodachi, which means friend). Full disclaimer: I work in a girls' highschool, so my views and experiences are completely affected and probably biased because of this. Tomo choco, at least in a girls' highschool, seems to typically be handmade. Some inexpensive chocolate or candy is given, but the majority of it seems to be homemade. Of course, highschool students don't have money, so only those with money-giving parents can buy chocolate for their friends. Among adult women, I think probably more women buy their tomo choco, and spend more on it than they would with giri choco. 

My students are arranged in classes of about 40, so everyone brings every classmate something. The result is something close to Halloween. Many of my students gave me chocolate and homemade goods, it felt like Halloween, but with hearts and flowers galore. See the pictures below. 

That bag is full of gifts from students. The next Monday, I got even more! Crazy. (Edit. Even today, Tuesday, I got more. Nuts!)

Honmei choco:

This is love chocolate. Honmei means favourite or "one's desire". So you can see that this level of chocolate is the highest and only reserved for those you treasure. In a girls' highschool, this gift is rather rare, and while one girl may give honmei choco to her girlfriend, I think it's generally a secret. Japanese society, while not openly against homosexuality, doesn't like things that stray from the norm, so same-sex couples are mostly secret. Honmei choco is the most expensive or the most caringly made and decorated chocolate that you give to your partner (romantic one, that is), children, or father. I'm sure sisters give their brothers chocolate, but it probably is more like giri choco. Honmei choco can also be used to declare your love for someone. So if you have a crush on a boy, you can show him you like him by giving him chocolate. After elementary school, it's most likely that any chocolate given from girl to guy (who is not taken) on Valentine's Day, is a honmei choco. Of course coworkers and bosses (and other typical giri choco recipients) don't count. 

Gyaku choco:

Gyaku means reverse or opposite, so you can guess that gyaku choco is chocolate given in the reverse way, from guy to girl. I think this is quite rare. But if a guy has a girl that he really likes, he can make a declaration of his affection for her on Valentine's Day with gyaku choco. I've never seen it happen except in cases involving foreigners, of course, as this is the usual way. I just learned of this phenomenon this year, and I badly wanted to witness it, but the opportunities in a girls' highschool are truly limited for this kind of experience :( 

Now I know you're wondering about the chocolate I gave and received... Hehehe.

Last year, a few might know, I went all out, as the experience was so shiny and new. This year... Ehhhh not so much. I was too busy and tired to think of making my own chocolate this year. Last year I made banana loaf, truffles, chocolates, no-bake cookies, etc. This year I bought chocolate. I was lazy. 

But that doesn't answer your question does it? Nothing exciting here folks. The only honmei choco I gave was sent in the mail, the rest was giri or tomo choco. My coworker and I bought a massive bag of Hershey's kisses and gave them out to students and teachers. We even hid them in one of the classrooms. I made a little extra effort for the teachers I work with, and the vice principals. 

What kind of chocolate did I receive? No gyaku choco, that's for sure!  :( But I did receive lots of tomo and/or giri choco from the students and it was delicious!!

And that is the madness that is Valentine's Day in Japan. Stay tuned for the sequel... In a month.