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    Japanese women push back against Valentine's tradition of 'obligation chocolate'

    Until recently, women in the workplace were expected to buy chocolates for their male workmates as part of a tradition called giri choco – literally, obligation chocolates.

    For a growing number of women, the pressure to avoid causing offence by spending thousands of yen on chocolates for coworkers is becoming intolerable. Some companies are now banning the practice, which is seen by many workers as a form of abuse of power and harassment.

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...tion-chocolate

    I could go for some chocolate.

    We have secretary day where we buy the office ladies stuff. And I think there's a boss day but that's ignored.

    Do you have special days were you're supposed to buy coworkers stuff?
    .

    "This will be a fight against overwhelming odds from which survival cannot be expected. We will do what damage we can."

    -- Capt. Copeland

  2. #2
    Power abuse. Need my chocolates, NOW!

  3. #3
    But, white day is of course an non-issue, despite it being the exact same thing except for men, just a month later.
    Sad to see japanese women catch a whiff of the trash that is western feminism, hypocrisy be thy name.

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by Hubcap View Post
    I could go for some chocolate.

    We have secretary day where we buy the office ladies stuff. And I think there's a boss day but that's ignored.

    Do you have special days were you're supposed to buy coworkers stuff?
    Japanese women love Chocolate.


  5. #5
    Wtf, where's my obligatory chocolates
    Quote Originally Posted by Boomzy
    People just want to be bullies without facing any sort of consequences or social fallout for being a bully. If you declare X as a racist/sexist/homophobic/etc. person you can say or do whatever you want to them, ignoring the fact that they are a human.

  6. #6
    Reforged Gone Wrong The Stormbringer's Avatar
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    @zenkai Dangit, you beat me to it.

  7. #7
    I don't think any adult should ever feel obligated to give another adult a gift if it makes them uncomfortable or is a burden.

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Strangebrew View Post
    But, white day is of course an non-issue, despite it being the exact same thing except for men, just a month later.
    Sad to see japanese women catch a whiff of the trash that is western feminism, hypocrisy be thy name.
    This is one reason why I will never be a sexist feminist. Of course, I won't be a sexist misogynist either. I am an egalitarian.

  9. #9
    Reforged Gone Wrong The Stormbringer's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Strangebrew View Post
    But, white day is of course an non-issue, despite it being the exact same thing except for men, just a month later.
    Sad to see japanese women catch a whiff of the trash that is western feminism, hypocrisy be thy name.
    It doesn't really matter, because White Day is meant to be the 'give chocolates to the woman who gave you chocolates before' holiday. If no one gave you chocolates before, then you don't have to give chocolates to them.

  10. #10
    If Valentines day wants to be taken seriously it needs to be a stat holiday, we do not get enough stat holidays lol.
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  11. #11
    Titan vindicatorx's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hubcap View Post
    I could go for some chocolate.

    We have secretary day where we buy the office ladies stuff. And I think there's a boss day but that's ignored.

    Do you have special days were you're supposed to buy coworkers stuff?
    well I take it they are cool not getting anything on White day then? Seeing a guy is supposed to spend 3 times what the woman spent on Valentines on a return gift on White Day. That and thousands of yen isn't a lot a thousand yen is like $9 I spent like $25 a month on coffee supplies everyone uses. That and they don't have to give chocolate at all it's considered simply a nice gesture. Just like when you go on vacation you buy overpriced small individually wrapped local snacks of some sort and give them to people in your office.
    Last edited by vindicatorx; 2019-02-12 at 02:58 PM.

  12. #12
    Huh, weird how it became a workplace thing there. I think it's okay for it to leave the workplace honestly.

    They must be sick of getting white chocolate on White Day when normal chocolate is clearly superior.

  13. #13
    WTF is white day and this 3 times.....money.... Whut....

    Glad I live in the UK, the miss's gets the customary flowers from the same garage each year in exchange we try something fun in bed.

    It's as British a tradition as Yorkshire puddings.

  14. #14
    Some people either didn't read the article or jump to conclusions, let's practice a bit of empathy here.

    Suppose you work in an office environment where 90% is male (welcome to Japan), now imagine how expensive chocolates are given that V-day is heavily commercialized, similar to Xmas which was only a mere 6 weeks ago, and people are still feeling the hurt in their wallets from all the holiday expenses.

    Imagine you cant stand half of your coworkers and your boss is a royal <insert word of preference>

    Nothing to do with feminism, simply a collective of individuals who are sick of spending their hard earned cash on obligatory, expensive, gift-wrapped, mass-commercialized sweets all to engorge Godiva's & co.'s corporate greed. That, and a looming increase in consumption tax and stagnant wages in a country that has been in an economic slump for the past 30 years and you get why this article exists.

  15. #15
    Titan vindicatorx's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by NoGodPleaseNo View Post
    WTF is white day and this 3 times.....money.... Whut....

    Glad I live in the UK, the miss's gets the customary flowers from the same garage each year in exchange we try something fun in bed.

    It's as British a tradition as Yorkshire puddings.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Day

  16. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by NoGodPleaseNo View Post
    WTF is white day and this 3 times.....money.... Whut....

    Glad I live in the UK, the miss's gets the customary flowers from the same garage each year in exchange we try something fun in bed.

    It's as British a tradition as Yorkshire puddings.
    You know about March 14th? The month after vday? Ppl like to call it pi day because its 3.14, but ppl in the know call it steak and bj day. You treated her like a princess on vday, so now you get treated like a king

  17. #17
    theres lots of obligatory stuff in the japanese workplace and gender equality but it's slowly changing and thats good.

    they really should get rid of that "working long hours is good (even if you dont actually do much)/leaving before your boss is bad" mentality in particular, might help them out with that whole declining population issue if people have some more free time.

  18. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by vindicatorx View Post
    Ooof, screw that. Think I prefer the garage flowers and a good screw.

  19. #19
    Can we also ban office baby showers?

    No, you can't have $20 just because someone got pregnant....

  20. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by ellieg View Post
    You know about March 14th? The month after vday? Ppl like to call it pi day because its 3.14, but ppl in the know call it steak and bj day. You treated her like a princess on vday, so now you get treated like a king
    I cash that check in after the bottle of sainsbury wine has be polished off.

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