Pepero Day (Nov 11):
Origin, Pocky Day and Osaka Nights
Pepero Day falls on November 11 every year, the date written as four “1”s, and on that day people in Korea give each other Pepero, the thin chocolate-coated biscuit sticks made by Lotte. The gift goes to friends, partners and colleagues alike, which is part of why the day took hold. It did not begin as a company idea: the first known newspaper report, from November 1996, describes teenage students in North Gyeongsang Province who were already calling November 11 “Pepero Day”, and Lotte only adopted the name the following year. In Japan the very same date is Pocky & Pretz Day, a commemorative day established by Ezaki Glico in 1999.
I am Korean and run three Korean bars in Higashi-Shinsaibashi, Osaka. Pepero Day is one of those dates that anyone who grew up in Korea simply knows, so this page explains it the way I would to a friend here, and ends with how to spend the evening of 11 November in Osaka.
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Where Pepero Day came from
The story below follows a feature in The Korea Times, “How ‘Pepero Day’ got started in Korea” (7 November 2024). It is worth knowing, because the usual assumption that a snack maker invented the day turns out to be only half the picture.
It started among students, not in a boardroom
The earliest record is a newspaper article from November 1996. According to that report, a game of calling November 11 “Pepero Day” was already popular among teenage girls at school in North Gyeongsang Province. The idea behind it was a wish: let’s become slim and tall like a Pepero stick. Friends handed the sticks to one another on the day whose digits look like four of those sticks lined up. So at the start, Pepero Day was something students did for one another.
The company adopted the name the following year
In the mid-1990s a Lotte sales representative in South Gyeongsang Province noticed that Pepero sold more every November and reported it to head office. From the next year, 1997, Lotte (today Lotte Wellfood) began using the name “Pepero Day” for November 11 and handed out Pepero for free in major cities. A Lotte Wellfood representative quoted in the same article put it plainly: it is not a culture the company created. The company also says it holds no documents on how the day first arose.
People in the confectionery and retail trade see it as a day that consumers started and the industry then nurtured. The reason it stuck, in their view, is the breadth of the gesture: a Pepero can go to a friend, a classmate, a colleague or a partner, so almost everyone has someone to give one to.
| When | What happened | Who |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-1990s | Students in North Gyeongsang Province call November 11 “Pepero Day” and swap sticks with friends | Teenage students |
| November 1996 | A newspaper reports the custom for the first time | The press |
| Mid-1990s | A sales representative notices Pepero sells more every November and tells head office | Lotte, South Gyeongsang Province |
| From 1997 | The company uses the name “Pepero Day” and gives Pepero away in big cities | Lotte (now Lotte Wellfood) |
The other November 11 in Korea: Farmers’ Day
November 11 carries a second, official meaning in Korea. It is Farmers’ Day (농업인의 날, Nongeobin-ui Nal), a national commemorative day since 1996, with its legal basis in Article 4-2 of the Framework Act on Agriculture, Rural Community and Food Industry. The date has its own logic: the Chinese character for soil, 土, the root of farming and of life, is made up of the strokes 十 (ten) and 一 (one). Put the two together and you get the eleventh day of the eleventh month. In 2026 the day reaches its 31st edition.
To make Farmers’ Day feel closer to everyday life, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has used garaetteok, the long white cylinder of pounded rice cake, and promoted the date as Garaetteok Day; a Newsis report from 11 November 2016 describes the ministry handing out garaetteok for exactly that purpose. A slim stick of rice cake, a slim stick of chocolate biscuit: two very different foods, both standing in for the figure “1”.
If you ask a Korean friend what November 11 is, you may well hear both answers. Pepero Day is the one people live, and Farmers’ Day is the one on the calendar.
Pepero Day vs Pocky & Pretz Day in Japan
Visitors from Korea may not know that November 11 is also a stick-snack day in Japan too. Here it is Pocky & Pretz Day. According to an Ezaki Glico press release of 1 November 2019 (which quotes the Japan Anniversary Association’s official site), Glico established the day to promote its two popular products, Pocky and Pretz, because the figure “1” looks like a stick. The first Pocky & Pretz Day was held on 11 November 1999, which is Heisei 11 in the Japanese calendar. The release adds a second wish: that people enjoy Pocky and Pretz together during the autumn outing season. The day is certified and registered with the Japan Anniversary Association.
The two days look alike on the surface and differ underneath. One grew out of a schoolyard habit and was picked up by a company a year later; the other was designed by a company from the start and registered as an official anniversary.
| Point | Pepero Day (Korea) | Pocky & Pretz Day (Japan) |
|---|---|---|
| Date | November 11 | November 11 |
| How it began | A students’ custom in the 1990s, first reported by a newspaper in 1996; Lotte adopted the name from 1997 | Established by Ezaki Glico in 1999 and registered with the Japan Anniversary Association |
| Why this date | Four “1”s look like slim Pepero sticks | The figure “1” resembles a stick |
| What people do | Give Pepero to friends, partners and colleagues | A promotional anniversary for the two products |
| Also on this date | Farmers’ Day (official since 1996) and Garaetteok Day | — |
One thing I will not claim is how widely people in Japan actually exchange snacks on the day; I have not checked that, and the sources above do not say. What is certain is that both names point at the same four “1”s.
Korean phrases for Pepero Day
A few short lines cover almost every situation on the day. The pronunciations are rough guides only; “Pepero Day” itself sounds close to ppeppero-day, with a tight, clipped first syllable.
| Korean | Rough pronunciation | Meaning | Say it to |
|---|---|---|---|
| 빼빼로데이 축하해 | ppeppero-day chuka-hae | Happy Pepero Day | A friend, casual |
| 빼빼로데이 축하해요 | ppeppero-day chuka-haeyo | Happy Pepero Day (polite) | Someone older, or not a close friend |
| 빼빼로 줄게 | ppeppero julge | I’ll give you a Pepero | A friend, as you hand it over |
| 빼빼로 받아 | ppeppero bada | Here, take a Pepero | A friend, casual |
| 빼빼로처럼 날씬해지자 | ppeppero-cheoreom nalssin-hae-jija | Let’s get slim like a Pepero (the original meaning) | Friends, with a smile |
The last line is the one the students in 1996 had in mind, and saying it to a Korean friend tends to show that you know where the day came from. For toasts and table manners once the drinks arrive, see our guide to Korean drinking etiquette.
Spending November 11 in Osaka
In 2026, November 11 is a Wednesday, an ordinary working day, so the realistic version of the day for most people is the evening after work or classes. Pocky and Pretz, the Ezaki Glico products behind Japan’s own anniversary, are a familiar sight on the shelves of convenience stores and supermarkets across Japan, so the stick-snack side of the date is easy to take part in here. Our bars do not serve food, so have dinner first and come up afterwards for a drink; the evening then has a natural shape of its own.
| Time of day | What fits | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Daytime | Pick up a box of Pocky or Pretz at a convenience store or supermarket | Both are Ezaki Glico products and widely stocked in Japan |
| Early evening | Dinner with the people you want to see | Our three bars are drinks-only, so eat beforehand |
| From 21:00 | A Korean bar in Higashi-Shinsaibashi, with Korean staff and K-pop | All three open at 21:00 every day |
| Late | Stay as long as the conversation lasts | Doors stay open until 05:00; check your own last train |
For what the city is like after dark at this time of year, including the temperature and what to wear, see our November nightlife guide for Osaka.
November 11 at our three Korean bars in Higashi-Shinsaibashi
If you want to round off Pepero Day with Korean drinks and Korean conversation, our three bars are all in Higashi-Shinsaibashi 2-chome, each on an upper floor of its building: HEAVEN occupies the fifth floor of Galaxy Building No.3, 韓国バーMOON is on the third floor of the LUXE Building, and SARANG is room 206 on the second floor of the Gold Center Building. They sit within a short walk of one another, about 6 to 8 minutes on foot from the Glico sign on Dotonbori, and you can reach them from Shinsaibashi Station or Namba Station on foot.
Korean staff work at every bar, K-pop plays, and the drinks are Korean: soju, makgeolli and the rest. Across the counter you can ask the staff what Pepero Day was like for them at school, or whether they have ever heard of Garaetteok Day, and see where the conversation goes. It is also a calm place to land on a weekday evening once you have handed your Pepero to a Korean friend, and if you are explaining the day to Japanese friends, doing it over a glass of Korean liquor makes the explanation easier. Conversations with the next seat sometimes begin on their own, Japanese guests who love Korea and Korean guests who love Japan both drop in, and walking in alone is easy. Our three bars hold a Google Maps rating of 4.9; as of September 2026 the review counts were 2,844 for HEAVEN, 380 for 韓国バーMOON and 678 for SARANG.
| Bar | Choose it for | Inside the room |
|---|---|---|
| HEAVEN | Singing and a lively night | Karaoke and darts to use freely, and a VIP room |
| 韓国バーMOON | Sitting down for a long talk | Shisha and lounge seating |
| SARANG | A quiet drink, also comfortable alone | A fully non-smoking room with mostly counter seats and no karaoke |
- All three are open every day from 21:00 to 05:00, with no closing day and no reservation needed, so a Wednesday evening works just as well as a weekend. If you want to ask something before coming, phone the bar or send a DM on Instagram.
- Paying by credit card is fine, and so is paying in cash.
- HEAVEN and 韓国バーMOON allow smoking indoors; SARANG is fully non-smoking.
- Private hire and group bookings are possible; ask the bar directly about numbers.
- Guests under 20 cannot enter. Never drive after drinking.
Walking directions from each station are in our access guide to Higashi-Shinsaibashi, and if you are unsure which of the three suits your evening, our three-bar picker page will point you to one.
HEAVEN
Fifth floor, free karaoke, darts and a VIP room: for singing your way through Pepero Day night.
5F Galaxy Building No.3, 2-4-19 Higashi-Shinsaibashi, Chuo-ku, Osaka
Open in Google MapsMOON
Third floor, shisha and lounge seats: for a long, unhurried conversation on a weekday evening.
3F LUXE Building Naka Room, 2-8-6 Higashi-Shinsaibashi, Chuo-ku, Osaka
Open in Google MapsSARANG
Second floor, quiet and fully non-smoking with counter seats: an easy choice when you come alone.
Room 206, Gold Center Building, 2-8-12 Higashi-Shinsaibashi, Chuo-ku, Osaka
Open in Google Maps.png)
FAQ
Q. When is Pepero Day?
November 11 every year, the date that reads as four “1”s. In 2026 it falls on a Wednesday.
Q. What does Pepero Day mean, and who gets a Pepero?
It is a day for giving Pepero, Lotte’s thin chocolate biscuit sticks, to the people around you. Friends, partners and colleagues all count; the breadth of possible recipients is one reason the day became so established.
Q. Where did Pepero Day come from? Did Lotte invent it?
The first known report is a newspaper article from November 1996 about teenage students in North Gyeongsang Province who already called November 11 Pepero Day, wishing to become slim like the sticks. Lotte adopted the name from 1997 after a sales representative noticed higher sales every November. Lotte Wellfood itself says it is not a culture the company created.
Q. Is Pepero Day the same as Pocky Day in Japan?
Same date, different origin. Japan’s Pocky & Pretz Day was established by Ezaki Glico in 1999 to promote the two products and is registered with the Japan Anniversary Association, whereas Pepero Day grew from a students’ custom that a company adopted a year after it was first reported.
Q. How do you say “Happy Pepero Day” in Korean?
빼빼로데이 축하해 (ppeppero-day chuka-hae) to a friend, or 빼빼로데이 축하해요 (chuka-haeyo) when you want to be polite.
Q. What else is November 11 in Korea?
Farmers’ Day, a national commemorative day since 1996, chosen because the character for soil is written with the strokes for ten and one. The ministry in charge has also promoted the date as Garaetteok Day, handing out long sticks of rice cake.
Q. Are Korean bars in Osaka open on a Wednesday night?
Ours are. HEAVEN, 韓国バーMOON and SARANG open at 21:00 and close at 05:00 every day of the year, so a weekday Pepero Day evening is no problem.
Q. Do I need to book, and how old do I have to be?
No booking is needed; just walk in between 21:00 and 05:00. You must be 20 or older, as guests under 20 cannot enter.
Sources and date checked: The Korea Times, “How ‘Pepero Day’ got started in Korea” (dated 7 November 2024, viewed 23 October 2026); Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs of the Republic of Korea, official website, notice on Farmers’ Day (dated 7 May 2026, viewed 23 October 2026); Newsis (11 November 2016); Ezaki Glico press release (1 November 2019, carried on Kyodo News PR Wire, including a quotation from the Japan Anniversary Association’s official site). Information about our bars is from Google Maps (as of September 2026). The names of commemorative days and the events held on them can change from year to year.