The Valentine's Day Erotic Economy

I learned in the booklet in my recent Tokyo Treat box that Valentine’s Day in Japan is traditionally celebrated almost exclusively by women gifting chocolate to men. Most all other customs and gifts of the United States — date nights, flowers, cards — have been ignored. This isn’t a practice relegated only to romantic partners. Like here, Valentine’s Day expands well into the realm of the platonic; it’s especially common for women to gift chocolate to their male coworkers in the office. There does, however, remain a hierarchy: the more you like someone, the better your relationship, the nicer the chocolate you give. The most unpleasant coworkers only receive chō-giri choko, or “ultra-obligatory chocolate,” the cheap stuff. Still, it’s probably nice to receive chocolate, regardless.