Japan’s バレンタインデー (Barentain Dē, Valentine’s Day) culture has evolved significantly over the past decade. What was once largely divided into 本命チョコ (honmei-choko, chocolates for your first choice) and 義理チョコ (giri-choko, chocolates for those you feel obliged to acknowledge) often came with a sense of social pressure, extending through February and into ホワイトデー (Howaito Dē, White Day) on March 14.
After the COVID-19 pandemic, however, 義理チョコ never fully returned to offices, even as many workplaces resumed in-person operations. Instead, バレンタイン has increasingly shifted toward celebrating チョコレート (chokorēto, chocolate) itself.
In recent years, terms such as 友チョコ (tomo-choko, chocolates for friends) and 推しチョコ (oshi-choko, chocolates for your favorite celebrities and characters), as well as 自分チョコ (jibun-choko, chocolates for oneself) have become more common. As people reframe these treats as 自分へのご褒美 (jibun e no go-hōbi, a reward for oneself), spending has also crept upward.
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