¥Ð¥ì¥ó¥¿¥¤¥ó (Barentain, Valentine¡¯s Day) in Japan is a distinctive celebration that continues to evolve.

When a chocolate manufacturer introduced ¥Ð¥ì¥ó¥¿¥¤¥ó in the 1950s, Feb. 14 was initially marketed as a day when women could confess their love to men. This take on the holiday has sparked a lot of conversations among women over the past decades, generating terms like ±¾Ãü¥Á¥ç¥³ (honmei choko, chocolates for one¡¯s romantic partner) and ÁxÀí¥Á¥ç¥³ (giri choko, obligatory chocolates).

Believe it or not, it used to be common to coordinate the ÁxÀí¥Á¥ç¥³ supply chain at your workplace up until recently, with women essentially expected to make a list of the necessary number of chocolates for their male colleagues, collecting money and making purchases at ¥Ç¥ÑµØÏ (depachika) the basement floors of department stores where food is usually sold. After all, you wouldn¡¯t want any of your male colleagues to feel left out.