In 1949 Scene: The International East-West Magazine printed an article Japan has a 'Valentine's Day':
After discussing similarities to " 'hoshi-matsuri' (Star Festival) or 'tanabata matsuri' ... celebrated July 7 " it is stated concerning actual Valentine's Day:
...crude tokens of a lover's sentiments. American soldiers, for lack of anything else, send them to wives and sweethearts in the States. But some soldiers send them to their Japanese girl friends. Most Japanese, however, never have heard of Valentine's Day and it is unlikely that they ever will.
In 1962, in Antioch review, Volume 22, Keith McGary in Japan on a one year sabbatical wrote:
We forgot entirely about Valentine's day: we saw no ads, no candy hearts were for sale, no shorts or panties with hearts, nothing on the radio. St. Valentine is not a local saint.
Japan '79: A New York Times Survey says:
on Valentine's day Japanese women give the presents.
According the 1988 Sales, service, and sanctity: an anthropological analysis of Japanese department stores
Valentine's Day was first brought to Japan by an executive of the Mary Chocolate Co. who had been in Europe near the time of the romantic day. According to the company's version of events, a poor translation resulted in his understanding that Valentine's Day was set aside as a day for women to send chocolates to men. The following year (1958), the company began its Japanese promotion of Valentine's Day but had little success. A company spokesman is quoted as saying, "During one week, we sold only about three chocolates worth Y170 at that time" (Fujimoto 8 Feb. 1987). The chocolate companies were persistent, and retailing concerns also joined in the struggle to get Valentine's Day going. A Department Store Association representative claims that it was the chocolate companies that made it big, and that department stores too really pushed for it through advertising. Part of department stores annual effort includes devising new ways to attract customers to Valentine's sales.
According to the 1988 Dentsu Japan Marketing/advertising Yearbook:
After all, St. Valentine's Day gifting ignores the other half of the population, the males, as buyers. For some time, the concept of a “Return Valentine” has been simmering. A serious attempt is now being made to bring it to the boil through the label of “White Day.” The precise origin is obscure but is ascribed by some, to small confectioners coming up with the idea that the boys should reciprocate the chocolate gift with other forms of confectionery. Marshmallow was one of the items pushed, as white was to be a lucky color. In 1979, the Japan Confectionery Association officially designated March 14th as White Day for the promotion of their wares in a flagging market.