Love in the time of COVID-19: Valentine's Day on the Diamond Princess
Cupid's avocado for dinner, heart-shaped messages for the crew, but also painful separation: For those trapped aboard the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship, it was no ordinary Valentine's Day. Wearing a red dress and a red hair tie, the ship's entertainment manager Natalie posted a ...
KitKat kicks it up a notch with its Valentine's-limited Cacao Fruit Dessert
Have you ever wanted to know how cacao fruit tasted? Now you can, with Nestle Japan's new cacao fruit-flavored KitKat. (Spoiler: It's zesty!)
More and more women in Japan are abandoning the tradition of giving obligatory chocolates to male coworkers on Valentine's Day, instead using the occasion to treat themselves. The trend reflects shifting societal norms and consumer attitudes in the country, creating new opportunities and challenges for ...
Loft under fire for its outdated portrayal of women in advertising campaign
Retailers typically strive to promote their products by creating ad campaigns that attract consumers’ attention. Loft Co. appears to have achieved this with the recent launch of its 2019 Valentine’s Day campaign, albeit for the wrong reason. The chain, which sells everyday commodities in Japan and ...
Say 'I love you' a different way with Kourakuen's chocolate ramen
This Valentine's Day offering from ramen chain Kourakuen features a soy sauce-based ramen with a hefty dose of chocolate.
Majority of women to buy Valentine's chocolates for themselves, averaging ¥4,200, Japan survey shows
Over 60 percent of women who plan to buy chocolates for Valentine's Day are considering treating themselves and buying chocolates for their own enjoyment, a survey by Matsuya Co.'s Ginza department store in Tokyo has shown. Of all respondents, 94.1 percent answered that they will ...
Fashion ripples during the new year lull
As the end of the financial year draws to a close, now is the season when fashion companies restructure their retail portfolios, with shop closures making way for new shoots to pop up in the following months.
Three interesting figures we stumbled across online last week.
A recent Godiva ad challenged the culture of "obligatory" Valentine's chocolates.
From Russia with love: OAR skier weds skeleton racer not invited to Winter Games
Russian freestyle skier Semen Denshchikov on Wednesday married a skeleton racer who was not invited to compete in Pyeongchang in a Valentine's Day ceremony meant to lighten the mood around Russian sports. Denshchikov, who finished 16th in ski cross at the world championships last year, ...
University of Tokyo offers halal chocolates ahead of Valentine's Day
The University of Tokyo is selling halal chocolates online for Valentine's Day to raise public awareness of foods that are prepared according to Muslim standards. Hanan Chocolates have been produced by a Tokyo maker using soy emulsifier and no animal-origin ingredients. The products — milk ...
