Modern Japanese Valentine's Day and White Day customs were instigated by retailers
the verdict
SUPPORTED
the evidence backs this
refutedsupported
the weight of evidence
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AS REPORTEDno primary record reached; this is what the reporting says
Reference material documents that White Day and popular Japanese Valentine's Day customs were commercially promoted and instigated by confectionery companies and industry associations in the 1970s.
White Day
White Day is celebrated annually on March 14, one month after Valentine's Day, when men give reciprocal gifts to women who gave them gifts on Valentine's Day. It began in Japan in 1978; its observance has spread to several other East Asian regions like China, Taiwan, South Korea and countries worldwide.
| White Day | - |
| --- | --- |
| White Day cake | - |
| Observed by | Japan; regions in East and Southeast Asia |
| Date | March 14 |
| Next time | March 14, 2027 (2027-03-14) |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Related to | Valentine's Day |
## Origin
Though Valentine's Day was being celebrated in Japan by 1936, it did not begin to be popular until the 1970s, giving the day a different meaning from the Western observation. It was primarily an opportunity for girls to show that they like a boy. In 1977, a Fukuoka-based confectionery company, Ishimuramanseido, marketed marshmallows to men on March 14, calling it Marshmallow Day (マシュマロデー, Mashumaro Dē). White Day was first celebrated in 1978 in Japan. The National Confectionery Industry Association started it as an "answer day" to Valentine's Day on the grounds that men should pay back the women who gave them chocolate and other
White Day: Japan’s reverse Valentine’s Day
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# White Day: Japan’s reverse Valentine’s Day
14 March 2019
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Bryan LufkinFeatures correspondent
Alamy Stock Photo
A clerk assisting a man with a White Day purchase. Spending for both Valentine's Day in February and White Day in March in Japan were down last year (Credit: Alamy Stock Photo)
A special follow-up day to Valentine’s sees men gifting women. But what might a dip in its popularity tell us about modern Japan?
For many in the West, the red-and-pink heart-filled celebrations of Valentine’s Day are already a month old.
But in Japan, shops and consumers have been gearing up for more commercialised romance, round two: a follow-up holiday called White Day.
It’s only been around for about 40 years, but it’s turned into a big-spending event and has even filtered into other East Asian countries like China and South Korea. Celebrated every 14 March – one month after Valentine’s – it works as a mirror image to the holiday it precedes.
On Valentine’s Day in Japan, women give
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