Cards (was re: GG: Saint Valentine's Day)

[Robert Clements <clemensr@mailhost.world.net>]

At 04:47 15/2/1997 UT, Junichi Miyazawa wrote about Valentine's Day cards:

>These cards are very heartwarming, but seem strange
>for Japanese people.  Because, the Japanese custom of 
>celebrating the day is very different from those of Western 
>countries: we regard the day for females to give *chocolate* to 
>males they love.  The very Japanized custom became popular 
>in the mid-1970's because the chocolate industry accelerated
>and devaluated the custom only to offer young females to give 
>chocolate to their male friends and colleagues.  (N.B.  Males are 
>not supposed to give chocolate to females;  they are supposed
>to give gifts--preferably, candies--in return on March 14, 
>which is named "White Day"by the strategic candy? industry.)
>Nowadays, St. Valentine's Day is a phenomenon of commercialism
>in Japan.  Various consuming industries offer their products
>(e.g. alchohols, ties, chiefs, etc.) for Valentine gifts.

Sorry to drift so far beyond the usually flexible _f minor_ guidelines; but
this one seriously intrigues me:

I'm surprised to hear that card-giving (or was that just _Valentine's Day_
card-giving?) is a rarity in Japan; since the (to me) bizarre, music-playing
cards (the ones which have a silicon chip embedded in the paper; & which
play a dodgy MIDI-style _Happy Birthday to You_ or whatever whenever you
open the card... i can't quite decide whether GG would loathe them for their
commerciality or love them for their unabashed tackiness (it would have to
be one or the other... nothing in between)) i see throughout China &
Hongkong are generally described as a Japanese invention. Is the belief
correct?; or is this a cultural artefact restricted to Chinese?

Rather looking forward to being back in China 11 March; but otherwise....

All the best,


Robert Clements
clemensr@mailhost.world.net