date

When Japanese women are up for it

goo Ranking’s surveys usually exclude the more saucy possible answers to their surveys, but this one is a rarety, a straight-forward look at signs, actions, or words that indicate that a woman is open to spending the night together.

Demographics

The survey was conducted during the 31st of October and the 1st of November 2013, and 1,060 people completed a private web-based questionnaire. Note that the score in the results refers to the relative number of votes for each option, not a percentage of the total sample. Given the original Japanese answer wording, the answers were not limited to personal experience, although I have chosen to translate as if they were. Note that this survey was for the men in the sample only.

I think for this survey I’ll not tell you about my own experiences…
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By Ken Y-N, ago

When Japanese men overdo the love playbook

goo Ranking recently took a look at actions by guys that make women wish they weren’t following a love manual quite so closely.

Demographics

The survey was conducted over the 2nd and 3rd of September 2013 and 1,077 people completed a private web-based questionnaire. 51.0% of the sample were female, 24.5% in their teens, 24.8% in their twenties, 25.2% in their thirties, and 25.5% in their forties. Note that the score in the results refers to the relative number of votes for each option, not a percentage of the total sample. This survey was for the women in the sample only.

manual

For number one, women will also complain if you haven’t got a sufficient plan! For Western guys, number 10 is just natural, isn’t it? I’m not sure about number 11 though; I don’t really know what head, rather than face or hair, touching signifies. For number 19, my wife insists I stand behind her on up escalators, and in front on down ones; her reasoning is that I have to catch her if she falls over, plus for the up escalator is protection against up-skirt photo perverts.

A random Google search led me here.
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By Ken Y-N, ago

Surprising date spots

For a change, a relatively postive and normal survey from goo Ranking, looking at surprising places people have been taken to on dates, for bother guys being taken along by girls and girls been taken along by guys.

Demographics

Over the 4th and 5th of April 2013 1,101 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 50.6% of the sample were male, 23.3% in their teens, 25.2% in their twenties, 25.5% in their thirties, and 26.1% in their forties; there was no-one older than 49 in this sample. Note that the score in the results refers to the relative number of votes for each option, not a percentage of the total sample.

Here’s a date, it appears, at a game arcade (or game centre, as they are called in Japan):

game center

I went to them quite a bit while dating, in particular to play the crane games for cuddly toys!

I also don’t find the herb garden too surprising myself – I in fact proposed at one! I’m trying to work out, though, why people would take someone on a date to their school – I think the wording implies after graduation; I suppose if it was a university there may be something interesting to see on campus, but just a plain school..?
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By Ken Y-N, ago

Guys Japanese women would never date again

This fun survey from goo Ranking looked at what women thought were the characteristics of a guy they wouldn’t want to ever date again. If the male’s thoughts are published, I’ll be sure to report them too!

Demographics

Between the 18th and 20th of October 2011 1,092 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 52.3% of the sample were male, 11.2% in their teens, 16.2% in their twenties, 25.7% in their thirties, 25.8% in their forties, 11.5% in their fifties, and 9.5% aged sixty or older. Note that the score in the results refers to the relative number of votes for each option, not a percentage of the total sample.
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By Ken Y-N, ago

Splitting the bill on a date in Japan

Are you the generous or stingy type? graph of japanese statisticsiShare, in conjunction with SBI Card, recently conducted a very detailed look at splitting the bill on dates

Demographics

Between the 13th and 15th of July 2010 1,148 members of the CLUB BBQ free email forwarding service completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 69.3% of the sample were male, 26.1% in their twenties, 42.6% in their thirties, and 31.3% in their forties.

I’m very definitely in the stingy class, although I do much prefer to call it canniness. I think I paid all on my first date with the wife, but after that, even on the first proper date, I suggested we split the bill, which didn’t go down too well… I believe it is standard in the UK and the US to split the bill as paying all suggests that the man might have ulterior motives, although as you can see from that survey, footing the bill does not appear on the list.
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By Ken Y-N, ago

When Japanese girls suspect an ulterior motive

Today’s bit of fun from goo Ranking is a look at when women feel there’s an ulterior motive behind a man’s actions. There’s no equivalent survey for men yet, but I’ll be sure to publish it when it appears!

Demographics

Between the 21st and 23rd of June 2010 1,137 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 65.1% of the sample were female, 8.0% in their teens, 20.4% in their twenties, 31.2% in their thirties, 23.9% in their forties, 9.2% in their fifties, and 7.2 aged sixty or older. Note that the score in the results refers to the relative number of votes for each option, not a percentage of the total sample. In addition, this question was for females only.

I think the premise of the question is wrong, myself – is there anything we guys do in relationships that doesn’t have an ulterior motive?
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By Ken Y-N, ago

Getting angry on a drive date

Taxi traffic jam
As well as being one of the more popular hobbies in Japan, driving is also a popular date activity. However, the mood can be spoilt, so this survey from goo Ranking looked at what got the passenger annoyed at the driver and the driver annoyed at the passenger.

Demographics

Between the 21st and 24th of May 2010 1,152 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 61.0% of the sample were male, 11.2% in their teens, 20.7% in their twenties, 28.8% in their thirties, 21.8% in their forties, 10.2% in their fifties, and 7.3% aged sixty or older. Note that the score in the results refers to the relative number of votes for each option, not a percentage of the total sample.

Given the nature of dating and the relationship of the sexes, I would guess that most of the passengers are female and the drivers are male.

As my wife doesn’t have a licence, her back-seat driving particularly irritates me, followed closely by her terrible directions, occasionally overriding the car navigation’s correct route. Then there’s the constant toilet breaks, lack of distance awareness in both “Are we there yet?” and in setting up 500 km routes that don’t take into account the effect of tiredness on me. And then there’s… I’d better stop now.

Photo of a taxi traffic jam from MatthewRad on flickr.
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By Ken Y-N, ago

How your Japanese girlfriend makes you happy on a date

goo Ranking took another look at a subject I also translated in 2009, what actions by your partner makes you happy, for both women making men happy and men making women happy.

Demographics

Over the 22nd and 23rd of February 2010 1,123 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 58.6% of the sample were female, 9.6% in their teens, 22.2% in their twenties, 32.1% in their thirties, 24.9% in their forties, 7.5% in their fifties, and 3.8% aged sixty or older. Note that the score in the results refers to the relative number of votes for each option, not a percentage of the total sample.

The guys in this survey must be lying as I would have expected number 14 for them to be way out in the lead!

I also wonder why linking arms is second-top for men, but 15th for women – why don’t they like linking arms?
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By Ken Y-N, ago

Being alone with the opposite sex in Japan

Women, on a date, who should drive? graph of japanese statisticsA recent survey from iShare looked into the distance between men and women in relationships. The title is not very exciting, but as is often the case for iShare, the questions and results were both thought-provoking.

Demographics

Between the 18th and 23rd of March 2010 901 members of the CLUB BBQ free email forwarding service completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 56.8% of the sample were male, 29.6% in their twenties, 33.2% in their thirties, and 37.2% in their forties.

For me, I’d be level 3 for Q1, L4 for Q2, L5 for Q3 and Q4, L3 for Q5 and L4 for Q6.

I’d like to say that women should drive on daates as I do get a bit fed up not being able to look at the scenery!
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By Ken Y-N, ago

Irritating girls to go along with on group dates

One traditional form of finding a member of the opposite sex is the group dating party thing, or the 合コン, go-kon in Japanese, where a group of usually three of four guys and girls go out and things may or may not develop. Following on from their look at male irritations goo Ranking took a look at what sort of activities from fellow girls at go-kons irritate them.

Demographics

Between the 21st and 24th of July 2009 1,026 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private online questionnaire. 48.2% of the sample were male, 8.0% in their teens, 14.6% in their twenties, 28.8% in their thirties, 26.0% in their forties, 12.5% in their fifties, and 10.1% aged sixty or older. Note that the score in the results refers to the relative number of votes for each option, not a percentage of the total sample.

Hmm, the translation for number 13 was unlucky for me and makes no sense! I would welcome a better translation.
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By Ken Y-N, ago