Love is in the air! For Valentine’s Day in Japan, there are so many different levels to the chocolates you give out, true feelings, friends, self chocolate, and even…. obligation chocolate.. lol. Let’s chat about the differences in Valentine’s Day here vs back home, then get into some wild dating stories. 

Got questions or want to share your story? Send us an email at [email protected]

Frankie - @franklinthewoman

Cheyenne - @lostwithlow

Words mentioned/useful words:

Honmei-choco (本命チョコ - true feeling chocolate)

Giri-choco (義理チョコ - Obligation Chocolate)

Tomo-choco (友チョコ - Friend Chocolate)

Jibun-choco （自分チョコ self chocolate)

Kazoku-choco (家族チョコ family chocolate)

Gyaku-choco (逆チョコ - Reverse Chocolate)

お土産 omiyage - souvenir 

独身証明書 dokushin shomeisho - certificate of single status

References/sources:

Giri? Tomo? Gyaku? A guide to Japan’s many different kinds of Valentine’s Day chocolate

https://soranews24.com/2023/02/12/giri-tomo-gyaku-a-guide-to-japans-many-different-kinds-of-valentines-day-chocolate/#:~:text=But%20first%2C%20let's%20take%20another,Valentine's%20Day%20chocolate%20in%20Japan

Japanese woman marries AI companion she created using ChatGPT: “Klaus understood me”

https://www.mangaloretoday.com/today/Japanese-woman-marries-AI-companion-she-created-using-ChatGPT-Klaus-understood-me-.html  

“Tokyo's Syphilis Epidemic Related to Sex Industry”
https://www.vax-before-travel.com/2026/01/02/tokyos-syphilis-epidemic-related-sex-industry 

Couldn’t find his waifu: https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSasmFJUd/

Time stamps

00:00 catching up/life updates

06:15 Valentine’s day intro

07:37 Valentine’s day in Japan

09:03 different chocolates depending on relationship 

13:42 do people even want giri choco

19:21 love languages/our husbands

30:16 tinder in Japan + other reddit stories

46:48 AI husband

52:17 syphilis on the rise

54:19 Rosa tells us how rough it is out there