White Day is a relatively new phenomenon created by the confectionery industry in Japan. White Day was first celebrated in 1978 in Japan. In 1977 a Fukuoka-based confectionery company, Ishimura Manseido (石村萬盛堂), marketed marshmallows to men on March 14, calling it "Marshmallow Day" (マシュマロデー). While Marshmallow Day did not succeed as a cultural phenomenon, the National Confectionery Industry Association (全国飴菓子工業協同組合) established White Day as an "answer day" or "reply day" to Valentine's Day exhorting men to return the favor to the women who gave them chocolates and other presents on Valentine's Day. The color white was chosen because it's the color of purity, evoking "pure, sweet teen love", and because it's also the color of sugar. The initial name was "Ai ni Kotaeru White Day" (Answer Love on White Day).