February 14th was Valentine's Day.
In Japan, this is the day when women give chocolates to the men they like.
Chocolates are distributed not only to the men you love, but also at workplaces, schools, and nightclubs. This is what is known as "giri-choco".
This year, since it fell on a Sunday, I think the sales of chocolates were also lower than usual because there were no "giri-choco".
Originally, Valentine's Day was for Christians in Europe and America, but like Christmas, it has taken root in Japan as one of the annual events.
Japan is the only country in the world where chocolate is given as a gift, and it is said to be sparked by the confectionery industry, whose sales decline in February.
In Europe and elsewhere, men give cards and flowers to women.
In the Philippines, too, women are the recipients of gifts on Valentine's Day.
So I presented my wife with chocolates (this is Japanese style) and flowers, Philippine style
Last year on Valentine's Day, I was in Fukuoka for work, so I ordered some flowers from Cupid and had them delivered. This time, I had the flowers delivered by Cupid.
The chocolates were purchased in advance at Godiva in Atre Shinagawa.
Whenever I give her a gift, she always asks me, "How much was it? I don't know why.
I responded as usual, "It's not about the price, it's about my feelings.
However, this time I will only tell them the price of the chocolate.
That's because it's chocolate for a special occasion.
By the way, I found out something interesting when I was searching for why Godiva chocolate is so expensive.
This is an ad that Godiva placed in a newspaper in 2018.
The catchphrase "Let's stop giri-choko in Japan. This is the catchphrase.
On Valentine's Day in Japan, it has become customary for women in the workplace to give chocolates to men in the workplace, but this has become a burden for women.
The message is to make it a Valentine's Day gift that values the original "joy of conveying feelings.
I hadn't heard of this ad before, but it's a pretty good one.
Of course, a Valentine's Day gift to my wife is not a sense of duty.
Just to be sure.
