Valentines Day in Japan, strangely different

Here in Japan, on Valentines Day, men do not buy or do anything special for the women in their lives... Now, before you start thinking how strange or bad that is, let me explain :)

For some reason, in the 1950s, a Japanese chocolate maker, Mary Chocolates, decided to market Valentines Day as a day where the women of Japan show their appreciation to the men, whether their lovers or even to the men they work with at the office, by giving them or baking chocolate or sweet cakes. So on Valentines Day in Japan, the shops are full of women shopping for chocolates to give to their co-workers, etc.

Well, the reverse also happens on White Day, March 14th! Not to be outdone by the chocolate makers, the marshmallow makers in the 1960s came up with White Day, where the men show their appreciation to the women by giving them something white (marshmallows originally, but now lingerie for their wives or white chocolate for the office!).

So there you have it, Valentines Day in Japan! :)

Today's photo is of a young man in front of a row of some of the unaccountable vending machines in Japan, which I like to think is a nation of vending machines, where you can buy absolutely anything in one of them!