Happy Valentine’s Day! ヴァレンタインデ－
It’s Valentine’s day in Japan now. Over there ladies give chocolate to men. Japanese ladies were expected to be obedient and not say ” I love you” to men. Valentine’s Day was only day in a year when ladies express their love directly decades ago. Chocolate company from America introduced Valentine’s Day to Japan, I heard . Now Valentine’s Day is the biggest chocolate sale day. The weekend before Valentine’s Day I used to go shopping for buying chocolates for my husband, father, grandfather, uncle, brother in law, nephew, boss and colleagues and myself. It was fun to shop, thinking of them. It is big event for ladies.
In this time of the year in Japan you can enjoy hundreds of different kinds of chocolate.Chocolate comes all around the world. I often bought a chocolate but I couldn’t give it to someone because I was so shy. When we don’t have someone, we exchange among girl friends.
There are many different categories: Honemei is for husband and steady, Tomo choco (Tomo chocolate) is for just boy or girl friend, Giri choco( Giri Chocolate ) is for boss or senior at school or work. I enojyed all.
Honmei 本命 Hon means ture, Mei means life
Tomo 友 Tomo means friend
Gori 義理 Giri means to owe, obligation Giri Choco keep relationship good and better. Giri is one of the most difficult value to be understood. Giri is a key word in understanding Japanese culture.