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Valentine’s Day (Page 8)

From delicate nibbles to edible dinosaurs – It’s chocolate madness at the Salon du Chocolat Tokyo

Many of our readers have probably guessed that Japan has a passion for chocolate. But each year in the days leading up to Valentine’s Day, which is when women in Japan customarily give men gifts of chocolate, that passion has a tendency to turn into outright frenzy. Spend time in Japan before Valentine’s Day, and you’ll see countless special chocolate products and dedicated vending areas in every shopping mall and department store. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the Valentine chocolate madness has now officially begun in Japan, and what better place to experience the excitement than Tokyo’s own production of the world’s biggest chocolate festival, the Salon du Chocolat? Join us on a tour of the event and see what all the sweet fuss is about — if you’re a chocolate lover, you just might think you’ve died and gone to chocolate heaven!

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  • Jan 19, 2014

My Melody gets ready for Valentine’s Day — and she looks absolutely sweet and delectable!

Readers of our site may be aware that a fair number of our articles involve collaborative items featuring cute mascot characters, including the lovable rabbit, My Melody. Well, here’s another gem of a character product that we think will make many of you squeal with delight!

Now, while My Melody may not be involved in as nearly as many business ventures as fellow Sanrio character and cat-of-all-trades, Hello Kitty, you have to admit she’s done quite well for herself since her creation in 1975. This time, especially for Valentine’s Day, she’s turned herself into something that’s sweet and melts in your mouth — and it’s not ice cream!

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Give your loved ones stag beetle larvae and more this Valentine’s

On 10 January, confectionery dealer Komatsuya in Akita Prefecture is taking reservations for their annual Valentine’s Stag Beetle Larva Chocolates. As a perennially popular gift of the season for their highly detailed resemblance to actual immature insects, you can bet they’re going to sell fast. But fear not! There’s a whole line-up of insect related good to let that special someone know how you really feel.

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Baskin Robbins Japan pinpoints the flavors of love in time for Valentines Day

Thirty-one Ice Cream, as Baskin Robbins is called in Japan, just revealed four new “flavors of love” to be released in time for Valentines Day 2014. You might think that love tastes different depending on who you talk to, but the popular ice cream chain suggests it actually tastes like armaretto chocolate, berries, cheesecake and chocolate raspberries.

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Valentine’s Day. It may well be little more than an excuse for chocolate manufacturers to line their pockets, but its popularity in Japan seemingly knows no bounds. For those men in relationships, the day is usually one filled with gifts of fondue toilets and creepy girlfriend-shaped chocolates, but for the singletons out there it’s just another day to feel unappreciated.

But not these young men! Rather than spend February 14 without a little somethin’ sweet, they donned sunglasses and face masks and descended on Tokyo’s Machida station asking for chocolate donations from passers-by. And, would you believe it, they were actually kind of a hit with the ladies.

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Avoid a Valentine’s Day Disaster with Valentine’s Insurance

There’s only two weeks until Valentine’s Day. For many men in Japan, it is a day of unease and loneliness. That’s because on Valentine’s Day in Japan, only women give presents to men, usually in the form of chocolate. So much chocolate is given out that Japanese chocolate companies sell half of their annual sales in the weeks prior to Valentine’s Day. With all this chocolate exchanging hands, what happens to the poor slob who doesn’t receive a single chocolate? That’s where Valentine’s Insurance steps in; making sure you’ll avoid the pain of not receiving anything on Valentine’s Day.

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This Valentine’s Day Let That Special Guy Eat Your Face with Some Fava Beans and a Nice Chianti

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. In Japan this means it’s time for women to bestow gifts of chocolate unto the men in their life.  However, for the guys who are really special, homemade chocolate awaits.  That personal touch makes all the difference.

The Fab Café in Shibuya Tokyo is setting up a workshop which uses a state of the art 3D printer to create the ultimate in personal chocolate.

On 14 February, much like how Mr. Sato had himself made into a figurine, participating women will be able to sculpt their own likeness on a chocolate truffle this season.

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