Hi there, hope you guys are all getting ready for the new year!  If you are from North America like I am, New Year celebrations are likely different than you are used to.  In Japan they think of New Year’s Day as a time to be with family, while in North America they think of New Year’s Day as a time to nurse a hangover.  As a result, there isn’t the same party atmosphere that you might expect – especially if you aren’t living in a big city.  However, this isn’t to say that there is nothing going on – it just means you might have to go looking for them.  I recommend looking around Shibuya if you want to bring in the New Year in a club, you will still find younger Japanese people with the same mindset as you.

Anyway, this article is on one of the biggest issues when it comes to dating anywhere – who should pay the bill.  Despite how far you think gender equality has come along, the majority of Japanese women still prefer men to pay the bill and Japanese men still accept this burden.  This is especially true for older generations.  That said, things are changing, especially with younger Japanese men who are a little tired of the practice.  What we are left with is a very murky situation indeed.

Like I said, the vast majority of Japanese women want you to foot the bill – or at least pay more than they do – even on a first date.  This is true whether the girl you are dating is young or old.  What makes things more difficult is that women often “offer” to pay some money.  But don’t be fooled – they are probably just being polite and waiting for you to “man up”.  So what advice can I give you?  I say if it’s the first date and it goes well, you should give her an easy “this one’s on me” (Japanese：”ii kara, ii kara” and take out your money).  I’ve always liked this phrase because it implies that one day she will have to pay too.  If she isn’t your type, make her pay half.  As you get to know a girl, you will figure out what she prefers.

Just remember, no matter how far you think society has gone – don’t ask her to pay more than you.  For kicks I just asked the girls in the office what their reaction would be and let’s just say you would have a zero percent success rate with that strategy to say the least.