A new trend in Valentine's Day marketing in Japan: Gyaku-choco

ひさかたぶりのかきこみです。:embarrased:

The people who already live in Japan or are in touch with its trends know that we have another new trend conceived ingeniously by the advertising/marketing and chocolate manufacturing industries--the "gyaku-choco."

Now, many of us know that Valentine's Day in Japan (like Christmas in Japan) is the product of commercial exploitation by the country's business sector. Valentine's was originally promoted here as "the day when girls get to confess their love for guys" and chocolates are bought up by girls and women to give not only to their significant others but also to their male sempais and superiors in the office ("giri-choco" gifts).

This year, we have "gyaku-choco," literally meaning "reverse chocolate." The marketers have come up with yet another new ploy to boost chocolate sales by coming up with an idea that had long been the norm in the US--guys giving chocolates to their girlfriends and wives. Still, it's now yet the same as it is practiced in the US--no Valentine cards to friends of the same gender, roses, or other non-chocolate gifts.

Now, I wonder what the marketers are going to come up with for White Day in March, a day guys are supposed to reciprocate the gift-giving (albeit with more expensive ones) to women, according to Japanese advertisers!!