Double the Love: How Japan celebrates Valentine's Day twice

Who says Valentine’s Day is over? Sure, it's a one-day celebration in the Philippines and the rest of the world, but in Japan, they celebrate it twice — and it’s called White Day.

Traditionally, Valentine’s Day is well-established as an opportunity to confess your love to that special person in your life and shower them with affection. This usually means giving gifts or planning the perfect date.

In most places, men do the heavy lifting, as they are the ones who give gifts to their girlfriends, wives, or significant others. But in Japan, it's the opposite: women are the ones who give gifts to the men they like as a way to express their love and admiration.

Valentine’s Day in Japan is very much centered around confectionery. The day was introduced to Japan by Kobe confectioners Morozoff and initially marketed to overseas residents. They created a heart-shaped chocolate called "giri-choco" for women to give to men as a way of expressing “kokuhaku” (the act of confessing feelings). This tradition isn’t limited to boyfriends — women give chocolates to male friends, classmates, colleagues, and others as well.

This is where White Day comes in, celebrated every 14 March in Japan. The day was named because the color white symbolizes purity and is closely associated with innocent love in Japanese culture.

White Day serves as a counterpart to the earlier celebration, as men who received chocolates are expected to return the favor by giving gifts to the women who gave them chocolates. Tradition dictates that the return gift should be of greater value, embodying the principle of "sanbai gaeshi," or "triple the return." This custom not only reinforces the importance of reciprocation in maintaining social harmony but also adds an element of anticipation and excitement to the exchange of gifts.

Eye-catching gifts from popular Japanese brands such as Morozoff, Meiji, and even Kit-Kat are a good start, but French and Belgian chocolatiers like Lindt, Godiva, Pierre Marcolini, Pierre Hermé, and Le Chocolat Alain Ducasse are also highly coveted, with most revealing limited-edition creations and flavors especially for the occasion. Some customers even make advance reservations with shops to avoid the crowds and secure their favorite assortments.

White chocolate and marshmallows are popular reciprocal gifts for women on White Day, alongside cosmetics and jewelry, as White Day gifts are generally expected to be of higher value than those received on Valentine’s Day.