Boys put a lot of chocolate into a big heart box
and carry big rose bouquets...
and hand them to girls.
"You're not special to me... well you actually are..."
Yes, it's like that in Japan.
Hey guys and girls on Ask Japanese this is Cathy Cat... and the feet of the director...
and we asked you guys on my instagram what American Valentine's
really is like. We compiled some of your answers and let Japanese people react to that.
So let's see what American Valentine's is like to Japanese people in comparison
to Japanese Valentine's. Let's go and Ask Japanese.
Valentine! The day of love. What image do you have of American Valentine's day?
I think Americans throw a party, instead of handing gifts 1-on-1
Everyone makes a big Valentine party and hands things out.
Hand out sweets? - Yes. - What sweets?
Other things apart from chocolate. American Valentine is like Halloween.
They hand out lots of candy to everyone.
That sounds like a fun idea. Do you have V-day parties in Japan?
Not really. - No Valentine day parties.
What is your image of American Valentine's day?
They have many cute looking sweets.
In Japan there are cute packaged...
pralines and such. - Yes, I imagine American products to be more colorful.
Cute chocolates everywhere, is what it's like...
I think that would be a nice Valentine in America.
Boys put a lot of chocolate into a big heart box
and carry big rose bouquets to give to girls.
Oooh - That's the ideal image I have. - Gender doesn't matter!
Everyone gets chocolate on that day. - Some points you got right.
The chocolates and flowers seem to be a common thing
is what I've been told. - Nice! - Sometimes boys also give...
jewelry and some boys even propose on that day.
Wow that would make me so happy. - But giving things without a cause...
doesn't seem to be a thing. Couples seem to give gifts to each other.
What? In Japan girls have to give all the presents. Boys give something next month...
I prefer the USA version. - Boys don't give on Japanese Vday?
They don't. - One month later on White day.
Boys have a lot of time to give back. - They give back to the girl they like.
Many boys forget to give something back.
Often boys don't give anything. - What's that all about!
In that case, both could gift at the same time! However....
Singles don't seem to get anything in America. How is that here?
In Japan you get at least "friendship chocolate" - Do they not have that in the US?
Some might, but generally singles don't seem to get anything.
At least that's what my followers wrote me. - Singles get nothing!
It makes singles feel a little bad.
Your image of Vday was pretty good. Why?
I like abroad, so I head things like that.
Some of my foreign friends told me what they got.
So I found out that Valentines day is different in other countires.
We are talking Valentine's day. What's your image of US Valentine's day?
USA Valentine?
I think it's the same as in Japan.
Girls will give chocolates to boys. They do it.
I think... I think the boys give gifts to girls in the USA...
I have the image that that's more common abroad.
One of you is right.
You over here are right. Boys seem to give gifts to girls more often.
Girls also give gifts, but boys are the more common gift givers.
What? - Boys have a lot of pressure. What do you think?
Sounds like pressure. We need to make the girls happy with a good gift...
In that case, we have White Day in Japan...
makes me wonder if White Day exists abroad... - Nope.
Good question. There is no White Day abroad.
On Vday couples give gifts to each other but the boys...
have a lot of pressure to do something.
Presents used are chocolate,
but also other things. What do you think?
Accessories. - Bingo. - A dinner...
That's right. You seem to get it already.
In Japan girls give things to boys...
in America it's often the other way around and the boys do things
for the girl they like. - That's great. That would make me happy.
So girls...
don't have the pressure to do something, but rather the other way around for boys.
I think that's better. I want that in Japan.
For us it's a lot of pressure to make gifts for boys...
but if we got something from boys we would be SO HAPPY.
What do you want to get? - Something that is NOT chocolate.
Japan is generally chocolate but you don't want it? - It's embarassing.
If one boy doesn't get anything it's embarassing for him?
Valentine is not generally the day that girls confess their feelings to boys in the US.
I see.... recently in Japan, girls will...
make chocolates and give them to other girls.
I think so. Girls make and gift choco to each other.
that's a recent trend. - Why?
I wonder why? Maybe they don't get another chance to make chocolates?
So they use Valentine as an excuse to make chocolates?
And then spread it. But then they should give those to men like me too.
On Valentine in the USA, boys
will organize a dinner, necklace or accessory.
roses and such
so on Vday men have to do a lot. Comparing that to Valentine in Japan...
which one do you prefer? - I prefer the US one. - Really?
So you want to give? - I do.
In Japan we split it into Valentine and White day.
Let's have it all in one day like Christmas. - Nice idea.
I like it. - Just getting something is rude...
we have White day to give back but I want to give back earlier...
if I got something...
So let's do this all in one day, exchange gifts.
In Japan...
have you give someone chocolates on Vday? - I have...
- Lover's chocolate or friend's chocolate. - Inbetween that.
What does that mean? - Well...
You wished you would become his loved one? - Yes that's why I gave it to him.
Your mouth said "friendship" but your heart said "love." - Yes.
Did you start going out? - Nope.
What did you do last year? - Nothing.
I gave chocolates to my friends. - Like a party?
Well we did it secretly at school.
We didn't spread it round, just gave it in secret.
What do you want to do this Vday? You can make Truffles you said.
What will you make? - I will make something again. - Something difficult?
This year I have to try even harder than that! - She just got a boyfriend.
You have a boy now you need to spend even more days on baking? - Yes I have to.
- Do your best. - She is rooting for you. - I want some choco too.
You already did truffles and fondant chocolate for Vday, but you need to do even better
this year? What will you do? - A new chocolate pastry ...
something really time consuming that looks like it would be in a patisserie.
- You're amazing. - I have to. - Sounds difficult.
You already took 2 days for making your friends Vday items... now maybe 3?
I will probably spend a week in the kitchen for my boyfriends chocolate baking.
Wow do your best. We can only cheer you up.
Thank you.
Do boys want chocolate, even when it's not from a loved one? - Yeah.
Friendship chocolate is fine with me.
It works for a better relationship in general.
It's a sign of good friendship.
I would like to get something.
The chocolate is used for better relationships too.
Yes that's what the chocolate is also good for.
Do boys give choco to each other?
Boys don't do that really.
What do single boys do on Vday? - Nothing
But you will still get friendship choco?
Yes we will. At least from our mothers. - Your MOTHERS give you choco on Vday?
In Japan mothers and sisters will give us chocolates too.
Many do that. - So nothing to do with lovers.
But getting chocolate not matter what is fun. - Yeah.
Have you ever GIVEN anything on Vday?
I have never. In Japan we don't do that.
Boys give on White Day.
So you wait until that date? - Yes. - Well I have done that though.
I like making sweets. Girls said they wanted to give me something...
so I made some for them too. A chocolate cake.
Like a fondant chocolate? - Yes. - Those are so difficult! - I made one
and gave it to her. - You have some domestic skills that I don't have.
I can't make that! So on Vday...
you might get something, so you made something ahead.
I had a girlfriend at the time and I thought she would make me something
so I decided to make two...
one to practice the fondant au chocolate and
one was for her. - You practiced first!!!
Wow that's impressive. What did she make for you?
She made me a chocolate cup cake.
So both of you stuck with chocolate. - Yes Vday is all about chocolate.
That's our image in Japan.
Wow that was interesting. Thank you.
Now this is what Japanese people have said about American valentine's however
your valentine's might be completely different from what we heard from our subscribers
so leave us a comment down below and let us know what your valentine's in your country is really like
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