No more giri-choco: 83% of Japanese women say no

[thomas]

It seems that the Coronavirus pandemic had a deeper impact than anticipated: a recent survey revealed that over 80% of women in Japan do not want to give obligatory chocolates (義理チョコ giri-choco) to their work colleagues on Valentine's Day.

With the coronavirus pandemic and changes in society, the widespread practice of "giri choko" (obligatory chocolates) in the country seems to be disappearing. The research firm Intage Inc. conducted an online survey of 2,633 men and women aged 15 to 79 nationwide in January. According to the results, only 8.2% of a total of 1,325 women that responded said they will "give giri choco." When those currently employed were asked what they thought of the obligatory chocolates at their workplace, the majority of women, 82.8%, answered that they did not want to give them to their colleagues. By age group, from the 20s to 70s, the percentage of "don't want to give" was 75.4% in the lowest age group, those in their 20s, while the percentage was around 80 to 90% for the other age groups.

Interestingly, 61.4% of the male respondents, answered that they were "not happy" to receive giri-choko, with those in their 40s accounting for the highest percentage, at over 70%.

83% of women in Japan don't want to give 'obligatory' chocolates on Valentine's Day: poll - The Mainichi

TOKYO -- Over 80% of women in Japan do not want to give obligatory chocolates to their work colleagues on Valentine's Day, a recent survey revealed.

mainichi.jp