Amu Plaza is the big department store next to the main train station. Every year, for at least the last 5 years, they've had a ""chocolate marche" (small booths selling Valentine's Day chocolates and snacks), for the week or two just before the 14th. Generally, it's a madhouse of high school girls and OLs (office ladies) trying to find good chocolates for their boyfriends, or giri (obligation) chocolates for male coworkers and family members.
I got up to Amu this year both on Saturday and Sunday, and it was an absolute ghost town. Less than a third of the shops than normal, and no more than 5 people looking around at its peak while I was there. I felt sad for the poor sales girls working the shops part-time. I expect that all the booths ran at a loss.
I never buy anything from the Marche, though, because it's always horribly overpriced. I did get a lot of giri choco from my students this year, which they bought mainly from convenience stores (one student works at Yamakataya department store, so I expect she got an employee's discount there).
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