As I introduced Japanese Valentine's Day culture previously on the Valentine's Day, it is a day for girls/women to give chocolates for boys/men in Japan. Then somehow it became common for working women to give "Giri-Choco (Social Chocolates)" to men at work. So, if it was a weekday, many women would feel pressured to bring chocolates to work.
Of course they don't have to be expensive, chocolates; women can buy a big party size chocolates like the Hershey's in the upper left hand side photo and pass out each piece to all male colleagues.
However, it is not so simple. Since Japanese Valentine's chocolates are not free gifts but may be reciprocated. On March 14th, one month later, is called a "White Day" and it is the day for boys/men to return gifts to the girls/women who gave chocolates to them. So if a boy/man also likes the girl/woman who confessed her feelings with chocolates and they became a couple, he would return a very nice gift to the girl/woman on the White Day. Also working men may return some social gifts to the women who gave "Giri-Choco (Social Chocolates)" to them.
This fact can influence working women when they buy "Giri-Choco (Social Chocolates)". Since they may receive some return one month later really cheap chocolates might be impolite. On the other hand what they will get as the reward is unknown. Therefore some women find it difficult to get proper "Giri-Choco (Social Chocolates)" and feel stressed every year.
Before Valentine's Day, shops also have many fanciful Valentine's chocolates with range of prices, such as famous character's chocolates, chocolates with funny shapes, and chocolates to play with. The upper right hand side photo is showing a chocolate tool, and the lower photo is showing a chocolate gift which people can dig up a chocolate fossil. However, for working women, the huge variety might increase their stress level even more.
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