Japanese Valentine's Day

In Japan, women give chocolates to men on Valentine's Day. And many of you may know, women give chocolates to their male supervisors and co-workers to show their respect or gratitude as well. Such chocolates are called "Giri Choko (obligation chocolates) and are infamous among not only women but also men because men who received chocolates have to give the woman something in return on March 14, White Day.   

Early February this year, one of my co-workers in her 20s came to me and asked if I could join an Obligation Chocolates group for male employees sitting near us. 

I was about to say that it was a bad idea. Some of these male co-workers have children, are too gentle and think about the meaning of the obligation chocolates too deeply to ignore this notorious over-40-years Japanese tradition of expensive return gifts.   

But I said nothing. She is a new member of our department. It is a bigger sin to ruin her brilliant idea of showing gratitude and respect to male co-workers. 

I have not been able to ask if the male co-workers enjoyed chocolates. Or even if I had asked, they would never answer honestly. They are too gentle. It was my mistake to assume that old and bad traditions would go away. It is still how things work.  

I look forward to what I will receive on White Day.