Japanese women rebel against having to buy chocolates for male colleagues on Valentine’s Day as the tradition is slammed as a form of sexual harassment
- The practice is called ‘Giri Choco’ which translates as ‘obligation chocolates’
- Women are supposed to give men they work with chocolates every year
- But there has been a significant backlash against the tradition in recent years
Women in Japan are rebelling against a tradition which sees them gift chocolate to men for Valentine’s Day.
The longstanding custom, known as ‘giri choco’, was started in the 1950s and sees women in the workplace expected to buy chocolates for their male colleagues.
Giri choco, which translates as ‘obligation chocolates’, has a reciprocal day where men are supposed to return the favour and buy women chocolates called White Day.
Giri choco, which translates as ‘obligation chocolates’ has been a tradition in Japan for decades [file photo]
Both events were devised by chocolatiers in the early 1980s to boost sales, but now women in Japan are getting fed up with the practise.
According to the Independent, women are instead choosing to buy presents for themselves instead of buying chocolates for colleagues.
In fact, the tradition has become so unpopular that some firms in the country are even banning it entirely – viewing it as a form of harassment.
Belgian chocolatier Godiva ran a full page advert in a Japanese newspaper last year telling women not to feel pressured into buying the chocolates.
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A survey showed the majority of women in Japan said they would rather spend money on themselves than buy chocolates for male co-workers
It said: ‘Valentine’s Day is supposed to be a day when you tell someone your pure feelings. It’s not a day on which you’re supposed to do something extra for the sake of smooth relations at work.
‘So men, especially if you’re the top person in your company, tell the women in your office ‘don’t force yourself to give anyone giri choco’.’
A survey of women in Japan found more than 60 per cent will instead buy chocolates for themselves on Valentine’s Day this year, while only 35 per cent of women said they planned to offer chocolate to their male colleagues.
More than 56 per cent said they would give chocolates to family members, while 36 per cent would make the same gesture towards partners or someone they fancy.
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