Japanese women bitter at Valentine chocolate duty (Yahoo news)

[sasquatch]

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese women are fed up with a longstanding Valentine's Day custom requiring them to give chocolates to men without getting any in return.

According to an Internet survey, 70 percent of working women said they would be happy if there was no tradition of giving "obligatory chocolates" to their boyfriends or colleagues.

Nearly 60 percent said they felt unhappy as Valentine's Day approached, citing the cost and time it takes to shop for the gifts, which are finely calculated to express just the right emotions toward a boss, a colleague or a true boyfriend.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060214/wl_nm/life_japan_valentine_dc
I think I'm turning Japanes, I think I'm turning Japanese, I really thank so.
:D:hide:

[SteppingRazor]

1. I'd do some joke about Japanese women being like American men...

in that regard, but my girlfriend gave me an iPod for Valentine's Day.

[sasquatch]

2. How nice of her

[Lydia Leftcoast]

3. Some explanation

What started out as a custom of single women giving chocolate to the men they were dating or even just attracted to evolved into a custom of women having to give chocolates to all their male colleagues at work. The idea was that no man should have his feelings hurt by not receiving any chocolate that day.

Chocolate given to men to whom one has no particular attraction is called "giri choko," or "duty chocolate."

I was watching the Japanese newscast on AZN television this morning, and one young woman who was interviewed said, "It's really tough on those of us who work in departments that are almost all men."

In recent years, the candy companies have promoted March 14 as "White Day" (Howaito Dei), when men are supposed to give cookies to the women in their lives.

Not surprisingly, this holiday hasn't caught on as well.

[sasquatch]

4. Mmm...chocolate

[JVS]

5. Yeah, obligatory giving is lame as hell no matter what.