Giri choco (
Type | Chocolate |
---|---|
Place of origin | Japan |
Main ingredients | Chocolate |
History
editOn Valentine's Day in Japan, giri choco is inexpensive chocolate that women give to male co-workers and friends to show appreciation and respect as opposed to honmei choco, chocolate that is given to romantic partners.[1] While Japan has a strong gift-giving culture,[1] the origins of giving chocolate on Valentine's Day is unclear.[2] One popular explanation is that the trend was started by junior high school girls, who would give handmade chocolate to boys to see if they returned their affections,[3] and it later became commercialized in the mid-1950s,[4] with the first Valentine's sale taking place in 1958 at Mary Chocolate.[2]
Harumichi Yamada from Tokyo Keizai University stated that the practice of giving chocolate occurred because women expressing their love to men was considered disgraceful, and confectioneries capitalized on chocolate as a way for them to profess their love; however, as the social status of women improved, Valentine's Day was later considered a day where women give chocolate to men, through which the giri choco custom emerged.[5] Sachiko Horiguchi from Temple University, Japan Campus suggested that the giri choco custom first occurred in the 1980s where working women were obligated to give chocolate to their co-workers and bosses, as both of the Japanese corporate and gift-giving cultures made it appropriate for this exchange to take place.[6]
Japanese chocolate confectioneries make 70% of their business through Valentine's Day annually.[1] The Chocolate & Cocoa Association of Japan reported that, in 2005, approximately US$400,000,000 (equivalent to $624,024,536 in 2023) was spent on Valentine's Day chocolates.[2] The average woman spent US$36 (equivalent to $52.9 in 2023) on giri choco in 2007,[2] while it dropped to ¥1,033 in 2019.[7]
In the 1980s, White Day began as a tradition where men would reciprocate giri choco gifts in order to boost sales.[4] White Day gift sales are heavily influenced by sales from Valentine's Day.[8][9]
Criticism
editThe tradition of giving giri choco is losing popularity in Japan beginning in the late 2010s and is criticized for pressuring women to buy chocolate for their co-workers to avoid offending them.[1][4] Some companies have banned the practice, citing it as power harassment.[4] Instead, women opt to give friendship chocolate (
Honmei choco
editType | Chocolate |
---|---|
Place of origin | Japan |
Main ingredients | Chocolate |
Variations | Giri choco |
Honmei choco (
Homemade honmei choco is also popular.[13]
This is generally reciprocated on White Day, celebrated on March 14, when men buy candy and gifts for women.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e f McDonald, Tim (2019-02-13). "Valentine's Day: Japan falling out of love with 'obligation chocolates'". BBC News. Archived from the original on 2020-04-28. Retrieved 2020-05-24.
- ^ a b c d e Sekiguchi, Toko (2007-02-14). "How Valentine's Day Conquered Japan". Time. Archived from the original on 2007-02-17. Retrieved 2020-05-24.
- ^ Craft, Lucy (2010-02-12). "Japanese Embrace Valentine's Day". NPR. Archived from the original on 2018-03-02. Retrieved 2020-05-24.
- ^ a b c d McCurry, Justin (2019-02-10). "Japanese women push back against Valentine's tradition of 'obligation chocolate'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2024-07-27. Retrieved 2020-05-24.
- ^ a b Tanaka, Chisato (2018-02-06). "Godiva's dig at obligatory Valentine's chocolates stirs debate in Japan". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on 2020-10-17. Retrieved 2020-05-24.
- ^ Yamane, Kumiko; Hasegawa, Ken (2020-02-12). "「
義理 チョコやめよう」賛否 呼 んだ広告 、ゴディバの真意 ". Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2020-05-29. Retrieved 2020-05-24. - ^ "Majority of women to buy Valentine's chocolates for themselves, averaging ¥4,200, Japan survey shows". The Japan Times. 2019-02-08. Archived from the original on 2020-08-10. Retrieved 2020-05-24.
- ^ a b Adelstein, Jake (2018-02-18). "Why Godiva Japan Took Out A Full Page Ad Asking People Not To Buy Valentine's Day Chocolate". Forbes. Archived from the original on 2020-08-10. Retrieved 2020-05-24.
- ^ Lufkin, Brian (2019-03-14). "White Day: Japan's reverse Valentine's Day". BBC News. Archived from the original on 2020-12-06. Retrieved 2020-05-24.
- ^ Nakamaru, Ryotaro (2019-02-13). "Not so much obliged: More Japanese women buying Valentine's chocolates for themselves, not colleagues". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on 2020-06-12. Retrieved 2020-05-24.
- ^ Lewis, Leo (2018-02-07). "Bittersweet campaign to liberate Japan's office workers". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 2024-07-27. Retrieved 2020-05-24.
- ^ Craft, Lucy (February 12, 2010). "Japanese Embrace Valentine's Day". National Public Radio. Archived from the original on March 2, 2018. Retrieved February 14, 2010.
- ^ Sekiguchi, Toko (February 14, 2007). "How Valentine's Day Conquered Japan". Time. Archived from the original on May 28, 2018. Retrieved April 23, 2016.