White Day, celebrated on March 14, is often described as Japan’s “reverse Valentine’s Day.” While Valentine’s Day in Japan traditionally involves women giving chocolates to men, White Day is the occasion when men return the favor.
Despite its popularity, the exact origin of White Day cannot be traced to a single inventor or event. Instead, several origin theories coexist, each reflecting Japan’s unique gift-giving culture and the influence of the confectionery industry. This article explores those theories, explains how White Day became established, and examines how the tradition is understood today—both in Japan and beyond.
What Is White Day? A Simple Explanation
White Day is a gift-giving day on March 14, exactly one month after Valentine’s Day. In Japan, it’s traditionally the moment when men give return gifts to women who gave them chocolates or other treats on February 14.
If you’re American and thinking, “So it’s just Valentine’s Day again?”—not quite. In the U.S., Valentine’s Day is usually reciprocal and couple-centered. In Japan, Valentine’s gifting historically had a strong social side, including coworkers, and White Day developed as the cultural reply that restores balance to that one-direction flow.
White Day is most closely associated with Japan, but it’s also recognized in parts of East Asia, especially South Korea and Taiwan, where the date is the same but the meaning and atmosphere can differ.
The Origin of White Day: Three Main Theories
White Day doesn’t have a single origin story that everyone agrees on. What most explanations do agree on is the broader context: the custom emerged in the late 1970s, as Valentine’s gifting became widespread in Japan and created a social expectation for reciprocation.
It’s also important to be clear about one thing—White Day is often described as a commercially promoted tradition. That doesn’t make it artificial. Like many modern holidays, it grew through a combination of social habits, marketing, and retail visibility.
A simplified timeline that reflects commonly accepted points looks like this:
- 1977: Early return-gift concepts appear, often linked to marshmallow-based promotions
- 1978: The name “White Day” begins to be used more broadly
- Late 1970s–1980s: Industry-wide promotion and department store adoption make it nationally recognizable
With that in mind, here are the three main theories commonly discussed.
Theory 1: The “Marshmallow Day” Campaign by a Traditional Confectioner
One of the most frequently cited origin stories connects White Day to a confectionery campaign centered on marshmallows. In this account, March 14 was promoted as a day for men to give women a sweet return gift, with marshmallows chosen for their soft texture and white color.
The symbolism is easy to grasp. White sweets can represent sincerity, honesty, or a straightforward response to a gift received. Marshmallows were also visually distinctive, making the idea easy to communicate and remember.
However, even sources that mention this campaign often treat it as a precursor rather than the fully formed holiday. It’s better understood as an early proposal for a return-gift day—one influential idea among several, rather than the sole moment White Day was created.
This story remains popular because it’s simple, vivid, and culturally intuitive, which makes it especially appealing in summaries and casual explanations.
Theory 2: An Industry-Led “Answer Day” That Became White Day
Another explanation focuses less on a single company and more on the confectionery industry as a whole. As Valentine’s Day gifting grew, so did the social expectation that gifts should be returned. An organized answer day helped resolve that imbalance.
The name “White Day” played an important role here. Unlike a product-specific label, it was flexible enough to include many types of sweets and gifts. That flexibility allowed multiple companies and retailers to participate without being limited to one item.
Under this theory, White Day became truly established when it was standardized—when people across Japan began to recognize March 14 as the day for return gifts, reinforced by advertising and seasonal store displays.
Theory 3: Collaborative Gift Marketing Across Candy Makers and Retailers
A third way to understand White Day is as a gradual, bottom-up tradition. Multiple confectionery companies promoted return gifts around the same time, while department stores and retailers amplified the custom through seasonal layouts and gift sections.
Rather than a formal declaration, consumer behavior played a major role. People already felt the need to reciprocate, and retail spaces made it clear how and when to do so. Over time, repeated exposure fixed the idea of White Day firmly in the public consciousness.
This perspective helps explain why origin stories often blur together. White Day likely emerged through collaboration—intentional or not—across manufacturers, shops, and social expectations.
Why March 14 and Why “White”?
March 14 falls exactly one month after Valentine’s Day, making it a natural follow-up date. The symmetry feels intentional and easy to remember, reinforcing the idea of a reply rather than a separate event.
The color white became associated with the holiday for practical and symbolic reasons. Early promotions focused on white sweets such as marshmallows and white chocolate, which translated well into packaging and store displays. At the same time, white worked as a neutral theme that could include many types of gifts.
Together, timing and color created a concept that was simple, flexible, and easy for consumers to understand.
How White Day Is Celebrated Today
White Day is still widely recognized in Japan, but participation today is far more flexible than in the past. Customs vary depending on context—romantic relationships, friendships, and workplace interactions all follow different expectations.
Traditionally, receiving a Valentine’s gift implied returning something on White Day. Some people reference sanbai gaeshi, the idea of returning a gift worth about three times as much, but in modern practice this is often treated loosely or ignored altogether.
For many people now, White Day is optional rather than mandatory. The focus has shifted toward matching the tone of the original gift and avoiding unnecessary pressure, especially in professional settings.
Common White Day Gifts
Certain gift categories remain closely associated with White Day.
White chocolate aligns naturally with the holiday’s name and is easy to understand as a return gift.
Cookies and baked sweets are popular for their casual, shareable nature, especially in workplaces.
Marshmallows are more symbolic and tend to be chosen by those aware of the holiday’s origin stories.
In practice, gift choice is guided more by relationship and context than by strict rules.
How White Day Is Changing in Modern Japan
In recent years, attitudes toward obligation-based gifting have shifted noticeably. Workplace customs tied to duty rather than personal feeling have declined, and with them, some of the pressure surrounding White Day.
Changes in work culture, budgeting awareness, and social norms have all contributed to a more relaxed approach. Rather than emphasizing obligation, newer etiquette favors clarity, moderation, and mutual comfort.
As a result, White Day still exists, but in a form that reflects modern values rather than rigid expectations.
White Day Outside Japan
White Day is also observed in several other East Asian countries, most notably South Korea and Taiwan. While the date remains March 14, the cultural meaning and style of celebration can vary.
In South Korea, White Day is often mentioned alongside Black Day on April 14, a day associated with people who did not receive gifts on either Valentine’s Day or White Day. This contrast highlights how the basic idea of gift-based dating culture can evolve differently across societies.
Even so, White Day’s roots remain closely tied to Japan’s unique approach to Valentine’s Day and reciprocal gifting.
Conclusion: Understanding White Day Beyond a Single Origin
White Day was not born from a single, clear-cut invention. Instead, it developed through multiple overlapping influences: early marshmallow-based return-gift ideas, broader industry promotion, and retail-driven reinforcement.
All three origin theories point to the same underlying theme—reciprocation. White Day reflects Japanese gift-giving culture, where returning a gesture carries social meaning beyond romance alone.
For international readers, understanding White Day offers a useful lens into how customs, commerce, and social expectations interact in Japan, turning relatively recent practices into widely accepted traditions.
