Valentines Day

The day for couples in the UK is, in Japan is a day for men. It's a time when women make, bake or buy chocolates for the males in their life. However, this isn't solely restricted to romanic partners or potential suiters, but also friends and colleagues! I can only see this creating a level of uncertainty of the level of the gift, but for all tense and purposes it seems to work ok.

My wife gave me a posh section box of pristine chocolates, dashed with gold and shaped into flowers and the like. They taste heavenly and I shall have to ration them out so as not to devour them in one sitting.

I also was given a beautiful little pink chocolate rabbit by one of my fellow teachers (FYI, everyone got one, so this clearly fits in the 'colleague' category) and it was obvious she had spend some time crafting them to make various little cute animals like dogs, cats and pigs.

Japan is nothing if not a obsessed with seasonal consumerism as the shops are also full with various moulds, icing spoons and books on how to craft such chocolate filled delights. Not to mention chocolates to buy that have been sculpted, coloured and layered in decoration and packaging to create something of more visual worth.

And for those of you who are wondering, women get their turn a month later on 'White Day' when men, according to my wife, men “...give expensive handbags to their partners!” Considering my wife's handbag addition, I might have to google that one first, but nice try darling.