Essay

Something in the air

音声ダウンロード

Love is in the air. And it smells a lot like chocolate. Valentine's Day across the world is celebrated in many different ways, but apparently it's in Asia that people spend the most on gifts.

In Japan, as soon as New Year's celebrations are over, the proliferation of chocolate and chocolate-making paraphernalia suddenly becomes very in-your-face. At the end of every aisle is something reminding you that Valentine's Day is around the corner. At every mall entrance is a woman offering workshops for you to impress your love with your chocolate prowess.

I already thought that Japan's three Valentine's Days (February 14, March 14 and December 25) were excessive, but it turns out that in South Korea, the 14th of every month marks a love-related day. April 14 in South Korea is known as Black Day. It's when those who didn't receive any chocolate or gifts on February 14 and March 14 go to a restaurant to eat black noodles and mourn their single life. But rather than wallow in their singledom, I would think that this would also be a great opportunity to find a date. All you'd have to do is go to a restaurant and look for someone sobbing into their bowl of black noodles.

Having to mourn your single life: The thought alone makes me want to cry into my food. There is far too much pressure in society to find a partner. Finding someone special is wonderful, but to feel that you're incomplete or inadequate if you're single? That's an unhealthy way to think. But that's exactly how chocolate, jewellery and maybe noodle-making companies make their money. Vulnerable, not-so-confident consumers will part with their cash if it looks like whatever's on offer will solve their problems. And marketers know what to target -- people's fears of being alone, or being the odd one out if you don't do what supposedly everyone else is doing. But if you think about it, standing out is probably a good thing if you want that someone special to notice you.

Which makes the concept of "obligatory chocolate" (giri-choko) even more difficult for me to understand. How are you supposed to focus your time and money on that special someone, when you also have to do the same for people you don't care as much about? I especially don't understand "super-obligatory chocolate" (cho giri-choko). If it's closeness between team members you're looking for, why not go out for a team lunch?

It would be nice if Valentine's Days around the world were, like in Finland, less about romantic love and obligations, and more about love between friends. Maybe then, there would be less crying and buying, and more smiling.

何かの気配が・・・

街中がチョコレートであふれ返るこの時期、パートナーがいない人は寂しい思いをしているかもしれない。しかし、私たちはシングルが寂しいことだと必要以上に思わされてはいないだろうか？

The Japan Times ST: February 14, 2014