Valentines Day is a day of love and affection in many places around the world. However, the holiday isn’t handled the same way in Japan as it is in the United States and many other countries. Instead, it’s part of a two-part celebration where women show their affection on one day, and men show their affection on a separate, later date.

If you’ve played video games, particularly dating sims like Tokimeki Memorial, watched anime or read manga, you probably already know this. Both the Tokimeki Memorial and Tokimeki Memorial Girl’s Side games provide fairly accurate reproductions of the affairs. The Tokimeki Memorial Girl’s Side games all even have mini-games where the main character creates chocolate to give to the guy she’s pursuing. And many anime or manga series that take place in school settings will often feature an episode or chapter devoted to the Valentine’s and White Day traditions.

To help readers better understand how Valentine’s Day, and the complimentary holiday White Day work in Japan, and celebrate Valentine’s Day itself, which is Sunday, Important Importables is going to go over how people in Japan celebrate both holidays…

Valentines Day is slightly different in Japan, than it is here. Fans of import video games, or of manga and anime, probably know all about the concept of Valentines Day and White Day. On February 14, girls give chocolate to the guys they know and like. Home-made, special chocolates, referred to as honmei choco, is given to the people girls love. There is also giri chocolate, which is most likely store-bought, that girls give to their friends, co-workers, male relatives and men that are important, but not number one.

So how does this factor into video games? Well, mainly you’ll see this special kind of Valentines Day celebrated in dating sim games. Simulation games that tend to go day by day have the concept of Valentines Day and White Day appear most. For example, both the Tokimeki Memorial Girl’s Side DS games have characters buy or making chocolate for the male characters on February 14, and then receiving White Day gifts in return on March 14. The recent Vampire Knight DS release also has players giving Valentines chocolate to one of the six vampire characters on February 14.

Some game companies in Japan also try to capitalize on these two holidays…