Dating and marriage in Japan might look challenging for many people since Japanese dating customs have lots of differences from ones accepted in Europe and the US. Japan is recognized as one of Asian countries with the most beautiful women, and many males think about Japanese courting as a way to find a spouse in this country. What should they prepare for? Let’s find out.
Basics of Japanese dating culture
Dating in Japan as a foreigner can seem painstaking due to different customs and traditions. However, by being aware of the following things, you can be absolutely confident in promoting your affection.
Making a confession is a must
The friendship between women and men in Japan is an ordinary thing, so you may be considered a boyfriend until you decide to talk about your true feelings. Only such a confession called kokuhaku takes relationships to the next level when both people have a clear understanding of becoming a couple.
Splitting the bill is a popular tendency
Younger generations support the viewpoint that splitting the bill on a date is a key to equality in personal relationships. This trend gets more widely accepted especially when people feel reciprocity and want to show their readiness to share everything with the person who’s become close already.
A date may last for the whole day
If a date appears to be on the weekends, get ready for an exciting and long time together with a Japanese partner. Unlike western dates that last only for a couple of hours on average, your soulmate may wish to spend more time together when she knows you’re free. Even if you choose a Japanese girl from a mail order brides catalogue, expect to contact her as frequently as possible to make her feel important to you.
A home date is traditional in Japan
The rat race of city life makes many people from this Asian country stay at home even if they want to meet a person they like. Therefore, don’t be surprised to be invited to the girl’s dwelling at an early stage of a relationship. Keep in mind that you shouldn’t associate this offer with intimacy! Probably, you’ll have a lovely conversation, watch movies, play games, and do other things to entertain yourselves and learn from each other better.
Valentine’s Day is a challenge for women
Dating in Japan for foreigners may seem strange when St. Valentine’s Day comes. The reason for that is there is no need to buy gifts for a girlfriend on this day. Only women prepare small presents for their spouses, while men respond with pleasant surprises on the 14th of March, which is known as White Day.
Moving together before marriage gets more common
It wasn’t popular to live together earlier in Japan, but western trends have influenced the way people treat this responsible stage. Currently, about half of couples in this country agree to cohabitation but only after the confession. Therefore, there’s no need to hurry to move in: both of you should be ready for that.
Ways of meeting are quite versatile
The main peculiarity of dating culture in Japan is lots of variants for getting acquainted. Local people organize so-called konkatsu parties aimed at helping singles to find each other with the goal of getting married. These parties can also be attended as a part of romance tours organized by Asian mail order wives services for foreign grooms. Another example is goukon events attended by groups of people looking to meet someone for a drink. Traditional for western countries ways of getting acquainted are acceptable in Japan too, but they’re less popular.
Advice on courtship in Japan
If Japanese women are your inner passion and you definitely want to capture one of their hearts, don’t neglect these courtship tips to achieve your romantic goal faster and with fewer obstacles on the way.
- Look for alternative ways of getting a Japanese partner: these people find it difficult to meet new people, so they often opt for professional matchmaking services or online dating. Japanese culture claims relationships can be built in a variety of ways, but the only important thing is their outcome.
- Don’t express your feeling using the words of love: Japanese people are very shy, and it’s torture for them to pronounce the words of “I love you” kind. In most cases, it’s enough to get an unspoken understanding of how your partner feels about you. Therefore, simple signs of affection like gifts, flowers, care, and attention are highly appreciated in Japanese relationships.
- Remember that your girlfriend thinks about marriage: the majority of women who start dating in Japan do that to build serious relationships leading to marriage. Therefore, you may break a girl’s heart with another fling! Furthermore, if she dares to introduce a partner to her parents, it’s a direct sign of a woman’s desire to get a wedding ring.
- Avoid a public display of affection: Japanese people value privacy and want to protect that unique personal connection created from other people’s eyes. Therefore, limit yourself with holding hands, while hugs and kisses should be postponed for a more intimate atmosphere.
- Have a closer look at a person: Japan has some cultural perks, but they’re less significant than personal ones. Try to learn more about a girl next to you and her attitude to different things to prevent misunderstanding and disappointment from her side.
Japanese dating culture may seem quite unexpected at first glance. No words of love and PDA, necessity of making confessions, special events for meeting singles, and endless dates may seem something outstanding for foreigners. However, if you look at these peculiarities from the other side, you may spot that Japanese people adore privacy, emotional contact, and close connection with people they like, and it can be clearly understood from their dating customs.
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