This year's Valentine's Day is expected to bring in Japan's biggest-ever chocolate sales, according to Shukan Shincho (2/14).

Unlike most Western countries where Feb. 14 is a day for lovers, Japanese tradition calls for only women to give chocolates to men (guys have to return the favor on March 14's "White Day").

This has resulted in the emergence of girichoko, or "obligation chocolates" given under sufferance to workmates and other associates, and honmeichoko, or "real chocolates," handed out to those the woman has true feelings for.

"If Valentine's Day falls on a Sunday, it really eats into the sales of girichoko because nobody hands it out," a spokesman from the Chocolate and Cocoa Association of Japan tells Shukan Shincho. "This year, Valentine's Day is on a Thursday, so sales will be fine for sure."

In fact, chocolate sales are likely to be further than fine.

A survey by department store Printemps Ginza showed that women this year were willing to spend an average of 1,029 yen for every piece of girichoko, the first time that figure has exceeded 1,000 yen since the retail giant began canvassing buyers a decade ago.

"Last year's average budget was just 852 yen. Most of the women buying chocolates are OLs ("office ladies," or women working in administrative positions). We're also seeing signs that buyers are becoming more discerning, even when it comes to purchasing girichoko," a Printemps Ginza spokesman says.

"The workplace isn't the only place where more money is being spent on chocolates. There is also a definite increase in the number of women buying chocolates to give to their fathers."

Incidentally, the weekly says, women will buy an average of seven to eight pieces of girichoko, while their honmeichoko for that someone special will them fork out a mean of 3,050 yen.

All this adds up to some pretty tasty figures for chocolate manufacturers.

"Three years ago, Valentine's Day chocolate sales generated 53 billion yen and the trend has been on the increase since then," the spokesman from the chocolate association says.

"Over the past few years, cocoa and chocolate with high levels of polyphenol have become more popular among older men, so the chocolate market itself has expanded."

Competition to collect chocolate money has been as fierce as always, prompting companies to come up with novel ideas to try and outdo their rivals. Occasionally, some of these left-field ideas turn out to be hits, with some of this year's better sellers including chocolates flavored with such condiments as soy sauce, salt, pepper and even shochu, a cheap form of potato-based vodka. Even when Valentine's Day is over, chocolate retailers expect sales to remain strong.

"More people are buying chocolates for White Day to repay what they got for Valentine's," a spokesman for Isetan Department Store in Tokyo's Shinjuku, tells Shukan Shincho.

"We're assuming chocolate sales will remain strong right through into March." (By Ryann Connell)