Being a healthy male, I’m naturally fascinated with the opposite sex, and I find the subject of Japanese females to be an especially complex and interesting one.
Over the years I’ve known many Japanese females, from students I taught English to, to girls I dated, and of course my wife, and while each of them is unique, I have noticed some patterns.
Japanese females are often very concerned with how they appear to others, wanting to be chanto shiteru (roughly translatable “doing things properly, as they should be done”) in all things, and when it comes time to, say, split a lunch bill, out come the calculators so they can accurately compute the amount that each person must pay.
Often, Japanese girls feel the need to cultivate a certain kawaii character about themselves, and it’s not that difficult to find a girl in her high teens or twenties who thinks its cute to hold her coat sleeves in her hands to make herself look “super deformed,” to refer to herself in the third person or to spontaneously channel a “catgirl” without warning.
While there are exceptions, most Japanese girls are extremely slender, and I’ve known grown women here who, when visiting the U.S., need to shop at Gap Kids if they want to find their size.
Thanks to eating rice three times a day, Japanese females are constipated more often than not, and spend great quantities of money on exotic Chinese herbal remedies, when all they need to do is eat a little less rice.
I could go on, but I wouln’t want to ruin the mystique of Japanese women for anyone, and besides, they confuse me, too.
Nothing lke a little constipation to ruin the mystique, Pete!
What’s funny is the openness with which they talk about it. Constipation is just every day conversation.
Japanese women are easy enough to get a handle on. Japanese wives are another story.
I’ve also known a few girls to discuss their periods with me during English class, which always gave me the heebe-jeebees. I don’t think those students were representative though.
Women are women, no matter where you are. I’ve met lots of Japanese women and they strike me as women anywhere else, they vary according to their character. My first wife was half Japanese (but totally American) and was a total bitch. My current (and last) wife is Japanese and is a kind, considerate and caring woman. You have to get into their character if you want a good wife. Communicate and listen to what you feel about the person. No one is perfect but that works both ways.
here are some interesting kotowaza (proverbs) regarding Women.
Decide for yourself.
http://www.nihonbunka.com/shinto/blog/archives/000052.html
I am fairly familiar with the ferocious fire breathing Gunma brand commonly known kakaa denka and as excellently described by Peter on his J-List blog a while back.
but also, I have spent time with an especially sweet lady from Hiroshima..
*so its a case of “horses for courses” as they say.*
remora
Interesting list there, Remora. I especially liked:
Icefish and women are not to be eaten after they breed.
Yes, women are all unique and different, BUT… I also had a former long relationship (not married, but not so different) with a Japanese-American girl who I thought had even a grain of what makes Japan special in her. She did not, and I’m glad I figured this out. I now have an excellent relationship with someone who “completes” me (and me, her). Not to go on about my “J-Wife,” I do that enough already ^_^