Romance and rejection triggered

Snapshot of love: Li Zhao takes a selfie with Zhang Jianna after they obtained their marriage certificates in Fuyang, Anhui province, on Sunday. Valentine's Day coincided with the first day back at work after Spring Festival. WANG BIAO / FOR CHINA DAILY

Valentine's Day stirred passions in at least one Asian country but was given the cold shoulder in another.

In Japan, women elbowing each other in the stampede to buy chocolate for the men in their lives brought stores to a standstill at the weekend. But in Pakistan, President Mamnoon Hussain urged the nation to refrain from celebrating Valentine's Day.

In Japan, men do nothing to mark the Feb 14 festival, while the women do battle in heaving aisles, loading up on confectionery for their menfolk.

If the women are lucky, the men will reciprocate on White Day in March, when they traditionally give white gifts, including sweets and lingerie.

"My feet hurt, my arms hurt and my head hurts," said Kana Shimizu, clutching two bags of Belgian chocolate that cost more than 10,000 yen ($90) at a plush store in Tokyo's Ginza district.

"This one is for my boyfriend, the other one is for me. I don't want him having all the fun," she said.

Having splurged on honmei (true love) chocolate, the 27-year-old hair stylist rushed off to find somewhere less upmarket to buy treats for her male work colleagues.

"They can make do with cheap chocolate," she said. "No, seriously. It's such a pain every year."

In Pakistan, the president said that Valentine's Day, which is celebrated traditionally in the West by lovers, had no place in the Muslim-majority nation.

Speaking to a crowd of students on Friday, he urged them to focus on their studies instead. Other officials criticized Valentine's Day.