Valentine’s Day in Japan

Things are done a bit differently here on Love Day.💞

In Japan, only girls/women give presents, almost always chocolates of some kind, and only to boys/men. They give honmei (love) chocolates to their loves and, hopefully, soon-to-be loves. (These can be women loves, too!) Oftentimes, these confections are homemade. If you’re on the receiving end of homemade truffles, you’re a pretty big deal.

Women also give kazoku (family) chocolates to fathers and brothers, and giri (obligation) chocolates to bosses, coworkers, and friends/acquaintances. Mostly, these aren’t homemade, and women will spend between $2 and $10 on these boxed chocolates.

A month later, March 14, is White Day. That’s when boys/men return the favor. Isn’t that convenient for them? They get to see who gives them chocolates first, so they don’t have to make the first move. The downside? They have to ascertain how much each woman spent on her chocolates and return in kind if not a bit more. So, it can get expensive for the men.

Women give about thirteen chocolates a year, one to the lover, one or two to the family, and the rest to their obligations. Most people I know think Valentine’s Day and White Day are expensive and tedious. Save for the love chocolates.💞

In book news…

Talk of Tokyo is on sale for 99cents for only a few more days. Sale ends on Valentine’s Day. You can order Talk of Tokyo here: Amazon, Apple Books, Kobo, and Barnes&Noble.

The series prequel, Scandals of Tokyo (a novelette), is always 99cents. You can order Scandals of Tokyo here: Amazon, Apple Books, Kobo, and Barnes&Noble.

Toast of Tokyo, the third book in the Tokyo Whispers series, is out now. Check out the fantastic cover below and learn more about Marcelle and Nobu.

Hope you have a lovely Love Day!!!

Heather