Top 10 Interesting Facts about Japanese Dating Culture

by Diana Ross

Japan is one of the most interesting countries in the world, a highly developed country with the world's third largest economy. But that's not the subject of this article - we are going to talk about Japanese dating culture. We guarantee that some facts about this incredible country will definitely shock you!

You might know that, apart from being one of the most progressive countries in the world, Japan is also known as a fun country (especially when it comes to dating). This article may come in handy for you if you are going to have a relationship with a Japanese boy or girl.

Your Name anime movie

The Japanese movie Your Name was a smash hit romantic anime in 2017!

Top 10 Interesting Facts about dating in Japan

  1. You don't need to guess whether your partner likes you or not
    Do you know the term kokuhaku? It means that you simply can't ask someone on a date unless you have declared your love to this person. Usually, a woman does this first. As a result, you shouldn't stress over the question of "Does she like me?" If you are going out on a date, you like each other by default.
  2. Your Japanese boyfriend won't be active
    Conventional wisdom tells us that men are more romantically proactive than women. Simply put, men have to take the initiative! However, if your boyfriend is from Japan, he will never be the first to confess love to you.
  3. Men prefer younger women
    Okay, this certainly isn't something unique to Japan. But it is really hard in Japan to find a couple where the woman is older than her man. Besides, educated Japanese men tend to prefer girls who are younger and less educated than they are. However, if we check the statistical data, we can see that the number of educated ladies is gradually growing! And with Japanese ladies often being more open-minded than their male counterparts, they will often look further afield for love (see #7).
  4. They always consider the opinions of their friends
    A Japanese guy will never ask a girl out on a private date until after he introduces her to his friends. In other words, they always ask the opinion of their friends. If they don't like his would-be partner, he probably won't build a relationship with this person.
  5. Flirting is the key to success!
    Want to make a impact on a Japanese woman? Flirting will help you soar to success! Japanese are widely regarded to be emotionally reserved, so if you want to draw their attention to your personality, flirting is needed. Songs about relationships will come in handy! They will help you break the ice at karaoke!
  6. No sex
    If you are going to spend an evening with your Japanese girl or boyfriend, you should keep in mind that it may take a long time until your relationship leads to physical intimacy (although if alcohol is also coming along for the ride, things may work out differently!)
  7. If you are from a western country, you'll be popular in Japan
    Japanese women like Western men. Furthermore, the majority of them dream of having a half-European child. The Japanese have even coined a term for such offspring - haafu. Therefore, it is usually not a problem to find a girlfriend here if you aren't Asian. You'll learn what it feels like to be a rock star.
  8. Japanese men don't like career-oriented women
    The majority of American, Canadian or European women have independent and goal-oriented personalities. They prefer building a career to staying home and doing domestic chores. However, Japanese men tend not to like careerists. They prefer women who like staying at home and taking care of their children.
  9. They celebrate both Valentine's Day and White Day
    There is an unusual but interesting tradition. On Valentine's Day, women give small gifts to their colleagues and men they like. However, just because you received a chocolate bar from her, it doesn't necessarily mean that this particular woman is in love with you! Nevertheless, men don't give gifts to women on this day - that happens a month later on White Day, usually in the form of chocolates.
  10. Public displays of affection are discouraged
    Before you get it on with the new love of your life, remember that in accordance with one of the many unspoken rules of the Japanese culture, couples don't kiss or generally show affection in public! However, like many of the preceding 9 points, things are always changing, in particular among the younger generation.

While in the West, Christmas is a time to spend with family, in Japan the focus is more on Christmas as a time for romance and dating (with New Year being the focal point for family gatherings). So, armed with a bit of insight from the above list, we wish you a very Merry and Romantic Christmas!

NOTE: this article is by an external contributor and does not reflect the opinions or personal experience of anyone at Japan Zone!

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