TOKYO - Say goodbye to the old ways, as the Valentine tradition of giving obligatory chocolates to your bosses and co-workers goes out the window, with a survey revealing that the practice of giving 'giri-choco' has reached its lowest point.
In anticipation of Valentine's Day on February 14th, a survey Nippon Life Insurance conducted the survey among approximately 19,000 of its male and female policyholders, finding that 37.6% of respondents plan to give gifts, marking a 3.1 percentage point increase from last year.
The average amount spent on gifts slightly decreased to ¥3,238, down from last year's ¥3,324. The most common recipients of gifts were "spouses/partners," accounting for 66.2% of all gifts given.
However, the trend of giving gifts to "coworkers" has declined to its lowest level at 14.1% since the survey started in 2020, highlighting a clear shift away from the practice of "giri-choco" or obligatory chocolate gifting.
Regarding the notion of presenting gifts to colleagues or business associates, 72.1% of respondents felt it was "somewhat unnecessary" or "unnecessary."
Naoko Kuga, a senior researcher at NLI Research Institute, commented on the fading tradition of giri-choco, attributing it partly to the rise of teleworking. She analyzed that despite the inflation and the need to economize on food and daily necessities, many people are still willing to allocate a regular budget for this once-a-year non-routine expense. This insight suggests a changing perspective towards Valentine's Day gifting, reflecting broader shifts in workplace culture and personal spending priorities.
Source: ANN
