(CBS News) - In Japan, it's women who usually give
presents to men on Valentine's Day, typically
chocolates. However, CBS News correspondent Lucy Craft reports that some
husbands in this traditionally reserved
society are learning to express their love with their lungs.
Dozens of men climbed the stage at
this "shout your love" event in a downtown Tokyo park, yelling in public what they can't
seem to say, in private. One man stepped up to the microphone in front of the
crowd and screamed: "I skipped work to come here, honey! You don't know
how much I care!"
For shy men who are clueless about how to express
affection, instruction was even provided on how to hug their mates. Yoshiharu
Nishiguchi needs no coaching, the 30-something salesman was one of the most
enthusiastic participants at the event. A few significant others, like his
wife, Rieko, were also given a chance to scream their feelings. "I love
you, Yoshiharu," she screamed!
Nishiguchi - whose father was also a
loving husband - says he's not a traditional Japanese man. Instead of going
out with colleagues after work, he heads straight for home. His wife says
it's a world apart from the affection-free relationship of her parents. "My
mother and father were the exact opposite of us. We had a very formal
household, so it was impossible to ever say, 'I love you,'" Nishiguchi
says. "Japanese are shy. We like to think that love needs no words, that's
it's automatically understood. But love needs to be stated." Together for 14 years, the shyness
hasn't completely disappeared yet. Nishiguchi says, "we're not always
saying 'i love you.' but this picture says it all - how we feel about one
another."
For young Japanese couples like this
one, the harmony's in
perfect key, even if the words "I love you" sometimes go missing.
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VOCABULARY
1. Typically (adv.) - usual
or expected
2. Reserved (adj.) - unwilling
to express your emotions or talk about your problems [↪ shy]
3. Yelling (v) -
shouting
4. Clueless (adj.) - having
no understanding or knowledge
5. Stated (v) - to
formally say or write
6. Harmony (n) - when
people live or work together without fighting or disagreeing with each other
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
1. How is Valentines
celebrated in your country?
2. “Love needs to be
stated.” Do you agree or not? Why?
3. Share your Valentine’s
Day experience.
4. Search for the
origin of Valentine’s Day on the Internet. Discuss.
