So you're thinking "Couples? Japanese couples? Only happens on the golf course."

Well, you're half right. You won't see too many older couples holding hands or cuddling or okay, even sitting at the same table. The men stay with the men, the women stay with the women, and every one's happier that way.

But the younger generation is a different story. Public affection is not completely a taboo anymore, especially in the larger cities.

After all, these are not your fathers' Japanese.

She's (gasp) touching his arm!

Yes, the days of Japanese couples dressing in matching Hawaiian shirts seem to be, happily, behind us.

This is the 90's, and today's' couple takes their cues from wholesome romance films like "Pretty Woman", "Basic Instinct", and "Indecent Proposal".
I actually know a Japanese guy who's' come-on to a woman was "We'll play Pretty Woman. I'll give you my credit card and you buy anything you want, then we'll go out."

On such brilliance are great marriages created.
Amazingly, she said no.

Such thoughts are not necessarily unusual.
This is a country where 'romance' is experienced in two hour sessions at a love hotel, complete with karaoke and complimentary condoms.
Where soaplands (you pay for a bath, and a woman scrubs you with her 'loufah') are everywhere.

And where another friend once said to me, "I can't talk to women. I'd like to, but I can't. They are just objects, like a car or a computer. I eat their food. I have sex with them. Then hopefully they will go talk to their friends. I can't help it. This is the way I was raised."

There's more that I don't understand.
Newly married couples take separate vacations. He goes to Thailand for golfing. She goes to museums in France. That seems strange to me.

And it's considered rather rude to say anything nice about your spouse. Which leads to comments like, "My wife is rather fat and not a very good cook".
That's a tough statement to answer. Which is why the Japanese always reply with a grunt, "Mmm".

And there's another thing I don't understand.
I know a man at work named Sato, so I call him Sato-san. When I met his wife, she was introduced to me as Sato, so I call her Sato-san. 
If I go to his parents house and eat dinner with all of them, they'll all be called Sato-san!
So, if I call Sato-san, they'll all reply.

I guess that's why they take separate vacations.....

Skirt n Boots