What is Japanese Valentine’s Day and White Day?

Osaka – Friday, March 12, 2010

March 14 is White Day in Japan. This event is a twin celebration of Valentine’s Day that is unique to Japan. Taking the opportunity of celebrating this event in Japan, the author would like to introduce Japanese style Valentine’s Day and White Day, that are closely associated with business and marketing strategy of confectionery makers in Japan.

1. Let’s recap on Valentine’s Day. What is Valentine’s Day?

Valentine’s Day, celebrated on February 14, is a day when people express affinity and love. In Western countries, both men and women exchange presents on Valentine's Day.　Valentine's gifts are not limited to chocolate - red roses are another popular present. Cards are popular as well, in which quite often people write “From Your Valentine” and “Be My Valentine”.

2. How is Valentine’s Day in Japan? How did it start and became popular?

Concept of Valentine in Japan is basically the same as in Western countries and has become quite popular also in Japan as well; however, it has developed into something unique to Japan. Valentine was first introduced to Japan by a western person who came to Japan before World War II. Soon after, confectionery makers and retailers tried to make it pervasive to promote their sales, but it was in the latter half of 1970s that it became quite popular in Japan. Valentine’s Day in Japan became something quite unique, with manners and customers unique to Japan; females giving males to express their affinity and love.

3. How is Valentine’s Day unique in Japan?

The following four points are the characteristics of typical Japanese style Valentine’s Day, making it so unique.

1) Chocolate is common as a gift, although recently some people started to give other things such as cookies and candies.
2) Gift is given usually one-way, from females to males, not vice-versa.
3) Valentine’s Day is regarded as an opportunity for females to express their affinity and love to males.
4) Gift-giving or chocolate from females to males (bosses and colleagues) at work is also quite common. This is called “giri-choko”, which is literally “obligatory chocolate” in English. This is not accompanied by romantic feeling.

4. How confectionery makers started to promote Valentine’s Day to boost their business?

How and when confectionery makers first started to make the most of Valentine’s Day in order to boost their sales is not clear. There are many as five different theories, ranging from a theory that a Kobe confectionery maker started in 1936 to a theory that was started in Sony Plaza in 1968, but none is ascertained.

What is ascertained is that department stores exerted much effort to make Valentine’s Day pervasive in Japan with chocolate promotion but in vain, and therefore many people viewed that Valentine’s Day would not become popular in Japan around 1968. However, from 1970s, chocolate sales for Valentine’s Day increased drastically. This was because teenagers started to give chocolates on Valentine’s Day at first, and this manner spread to adults in 1990s. Thus, although it is often said that popularity of giving chocolates on Valentine’s Day in Japan attributes to hidden strategy of chocolate makers, it also attributes to the fact that some factors of Valentine’s Day were well accepted to Japanese society and some others were not, and to the option selected by consumers.

5. What is White Day? What is the relationship with Valentine’s Day?

When Japanese unique Valentine’s Day of females giving chocolates to males to express affinity and love has taken root in 1980, another manners and customers unique to Japan formed, which is White Day, celebrated on March 14. The custom of White Day is quite unique to Japan. On this day, men have the opportunity to give gifts to women in return for the chocolate they received on Valentine's Day.

The custom of White Day started in 1978 in Fukuoka City when a sweet maker came up with the idea as a way to promote sales,. Then White Day campaign was planned and approved by nationwide association of candy industry and the first campaign was held in 1980. The fifth campaign in 1984 has become such a huge success that they were short of products, and 1984 was named as the year that in which White Day has taken root.

White Day has slowly become an annual custom among many men, although Japanese men were not accustomed to giving gifts like this to women, and then the custom eventually spread throughout the country. At first, the gifts given to women were often something white, like marshmallows or white chocolate, hence the name White Day. Recently however, various gifts are given, regardless of the color, and currently, companies from many different fields are developing products for the day.

6. How Valentine’s Day evolved to support confectionery business in Japan by strategic marketing of confectionery makers?

Valentine’s Day has become a truly national event, and since 2000 it has been evolving and diversifying. Indeed, it is said that as much as 20% of yearly chocolate consumption in Japan is of this day. Besides the primary concept/objective of females giving chocolate to males to express their affinity and love, other concept and forms have emerged. Females started to give to their lovers and husband. People started to give to males/females they admire. And small children started to take part in Valentine’s Day as well.

“Giri-choco” or obligation chocolate mentioned earlier that had taken root much earlier has been declining since latter 1990s, but other types of chocolates have emerged. One is “tomo-choco”, literally “friend chocolate” in English, which started to spread from around 2000. It now supports Valentine business in Japan and its market has been growing steadily since latter 2000s.

Another type of chocolate that has emerged is “gyaku-choco”, literally “reverse chocolate” in English. This is chocolate given to females from males, which is reverse of the traditional Japanese style Valentine’s Day. This has been promoted aggressively by Morinaga in particular by various campaigns from latter 2000s. Some people also started to buy “jibun-choco”, literally “self chocolate” in English, as a gift to oneself from around 2000.

7. Is success and popularity of Valentine’s Day and White Day (business) the result of marketing effort of confectionery makers?

The author would answer “yes”. It is no doubt that marketing campaign and promotion by confectionery makers was successful in activating chocolate (and other confectionery) consumption. Confectionery makers have been making much effort in marketing valentine specific products and other novelty products such as imported product, accompanied by huge campaigns, for business of Valentine’s Day and White Day. With their effort, they have to execute marketing strategy meeting (potential) needs of Japanese consumers understanding their psychology and behaviour well, to create a new market, to build and establish business of Valentine’s Day and White Day, when in general, consumer consumption and spending is in the low level after Christmas, the business/sales peak of the year.