St. Valentine's Day is extremely popular in Japan. February 14 is celebrated as a day when girls are allowed to express their love to boys by presenting them with chocolate, as a symbol of their love. Many Japanese, and in particular the young people, who are especially passionate about the event, don't really know what St. Valentine's day means for Europeans or Americans, or, needless to say, what the Roman origin of the day is. Some people are aware that they celebrate St. Valentine's Day differently from Westerners, but they don't really care. A few people feel unhappy that they are being manipulated by the smart advertisements of chocolate companies.
Yes, it is true that St. Valentine's Day was introduced to Japan by chocolate companies. It seems that the first company which tried to persuade the Japanese to give presents of chocolate on St. Valentine's Day was Morozoff, a Kobe based confectioner. Morozoff's first trial was made in 1936, but it was too premature for the Japanese to pay any attention to the Western tradition. Morozoff tried again after the WWII in 1952, but failed again to gain the support of the Japanese. Then another chocolate company, Mary's Chocolate Company in Tokyo, tried its luck in 1958. In 1960, Morinaga, a confectionery giant started a "chocolate for St. Valentine's Day" campaign and this event gradually penetrated society. ![]() |