Yes, Valentine's Day in Japan is grotesquely commercialized beyond Hallmark's wildest dreams. Yes, they've got it all backwards with women giving chocolate to the men they love and know. Yes, it's wrong to force people (there's a reason it's called "obligation chocolate") to go on a spending bender when the world is in recession.
But that is no reason for you to miss out on the one-week-only chocolate wonderlands that spring up in all the department stores, like the Chocolate Promenade at Daimaru, or Joie de Chocolat at Tokyo Midtown. Dozens of swanky international chocolatieres set up rows of glass cases with tasteful displays of chocolates from five bucks and up - way up. Some of the chocolates are whimsical, like flying pigs and teddy bears. Lots of the packaging is intricate and beautiful, with just a few glistening black cubes or manicured red hearts nestled in each custom box. (Don't they know this stuff is for dudes?)
The competition is fierce and the samples are plentiful. Some of these places have extended hours on Friday night. So if you're in Tokyo, you've got about 48 hours left to snag all the dainty little bites of free chocolate you can get your hands on. Free gourmet chocolate? The holiday can't be all bad.
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