White Day: The Day That Gets Skipped ~White Day Among College Students~

At Dentsu Inc. Wakamon, we hold monthly work sessions with members of university clubs and groups. We also utilize SNS group chat functions to capture the "Wakamon Real" – the present moment of university students. We particularly focus on seasonal events, looking back to see "how it actually went" and "what they actually did," offering glimpses into their lives. We asked 20 university students in Tokyo (11 female, 9 male) on March 15th, the day after White Day.

"Did you receive or give a gift on White Day?"

The overwhelming response was "Nothing happened" or "I didn't give anything." While exchanging "friendship chocolates" among peers is commonplace for college students on Valentine's Day, White Day seems to be limited to being a "couples' event" for women. Furthermore, a notable characteristic among the male students was that the majority belonged to the "don't return" camp. Upon closer questioning, it became apparent that even when the recipient was not their true love (as presumed), many expressed opinions like, "I don't want to be seen as too serious," explaining their reluctance to give a return gift on White Day.

Q.

"Did you receive or give a gift on White Day?"
　

【Female College Students】

 【Male College Students】

We actually conducted a survey on the same day through Circle Up targeting university students in the Kanto region. When asked "How many people did you give gifts to?", the result showed that one in two male students answered "0 people".

The most common gift received on White Day was "something handmade" from a boyfriend.

"My boyfriend made me an apple pie and gave me flowers."

Terms like "cooking guys" and "sweets guys" were popular a while back, and it seems more male college students are putting effort into making homemade sweets for their girlfriends.

Compared to seasonal events like Valentine's Day or Christmas, White Day still has room to grow as an event! However, some events, like Halloween, can rapidly spread nationwide, so it's one to watch. Keep an eye on next year's White Day.

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【Wakamon Profile】
Dentsu Inc. Youth Research Department (nicknamed Wakamon) is a planning team that engages with the real lives and mindsets of young people, primarily high school and college students. We seek insights from their "now" to find hints for brightening and revitalizing the near future. By anticipating the future through their perspectives, we realize new businesses that foster better relationships between youth and society. Currently, 14 project members are based across our Tokyo headquarters, Kansai branch, and Chubu branch. We also share updates on the Wakamon Facebook page ( https://www.facebook.com/wakamon.dentsu ).