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GPod 13: Intercultural Dating

In this show we talk to Lorie and Sho about the challenges and rewards of being an intercultural couple. From punctuality to cleanliness we take a look at the extra challenge that cultural differences bring to a relationship.

By 1 min read 14

Valentines is a special day for many couples but here in Japan things are done a little differently. While in the West you might see a long line of men buying chocolates or flowers for their special someone, here in Japan it’s the woman’s responsibility to buy a gift to give to their men.

This role reversal is just one of the unique aspects of living and dating in a new country. In this show we talk to Lorie and Sho about the challenges and rewards of being an intercultural couple.

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From punctuality to cleanliness we take a look at the extra challenges that cultural differences bring to a relationship.

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  • Koichi says:

    I’m a Japanese male living in Australia. I can see that Sho was often making jokes which weren’t received well as a joke. That happens to me a lot when trying to make a sarcastic joke… that’s part of intercultural relations IMO.

  • Sakura Yamatochi says:

    so sweet.

  • エジプト人 says:

    Well, after that show. No way I would date a Japanese guy. I don’t want to become a maid. If I wanted to be a maid I would have dated a person in my home country.

  • Simone says:

    Am I the only one who feels like Sho doesn’t appreciate his girl friend. He hardly can find things he likes about her. She seems so sweet. He seems to take her for granted…

    • Yuta says:

      I had a similar impression but after thinking it through, I realised that Sho’s comments would make much more sense if he had said them in Japanese because in Japan, praising your partner can be seem as boastful and make a bad impression. I wrote a blog article on this: http://www.yutaaoki.com/blog/why-dont-japanese-guys-appreciate

    • Anthony Joh says:

      He was just really nervous. Being put on the spot like that was hard for him to express himself fully. Before we turned on the mics he was fine.

      • Simone says:

        I get what you say, but as a western woman in Tokyo this interview really frustrated me. sorry, I don’t mean to criticize. but what came across to me was a young lady totally in love and a Japanese man who thinks the Japanese way of life is the only right one. I always felt it would be hard for a western woman to build a loving relationship with a Japanese guy… this interview seems to prove my suspicions right.

        • Lorie says:

          Well, I understand some of the comments regarding the “submissive girlfriend” thing but I exaggerated a bit ! As another comment suggested, Sho lived abroad for a while and he is actually way more “western” than other Japanese men. I also doubt I could ever date a Japanese guy who has never left Japan and has fixed and traditional ideas about lifestyle as well as the position of women….
          In reality, Sho is really sweet and caring 🙂 he was just kind of shy during the interview. But I can imagine some other girls maybe dating guys like in stereotypes (the macho Japanese guy type) and I’m sure they are having more trouble in their relationship…

  • L. says:

    This was interesting and the guests both sound really cute 🙂 Although I think you should touch on the subject of dating Japanese guys who have never been outside Japan and don’t speak English. The dynamic is really different when you have to communicate entirely in Japanese and so is their way of thinking. The “submissive girlfriend” thing, yeeeah.

    • Anthony Joh says:

      If they don’t speak English it will be hard to do an interview with them but we do have a show planned with some Japanese guys to talk about dating in Japan.

  • Marine says:

    Lorie, Sho, you made my day !!! =) I’m used to talk to you guys directly but it was really interesting to hear your opinion about intercultural dating. Thank you guys and you know my advice about all of this 😉

  • sarabamanda says:

    Here to reply to the hair washing: My general rule is every other day, but I’ve been known to stretch it to three if it looks particularly good that third day!

  • Erin says:

    Great show guys! I really enjoyed hearing about the pros and cons of intercultural dating in Japan 🙂
    As for the hair-washing comment, I’m an Australian girl, with fine, shoulder-length, dead straight hair. I wash my hair every day otherwise it gets limp and horrible. However, not all my friends do. It’s very much an individual thing 😉
    I also totally agree with Lorie about things being 50/50 with cooking etc.
    Looking forward to the next GPod installment 🙂

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