Even though men tend to say that they can never understand women, I daresay that it is them who are the real mystery! With women a lot of things are so much easier than with men. For example, if you need to buy a present for your female friends you will probably accomplish this task in less than 30 minutes of shopping. But for your male friends? Good luck with that.

Now, you’d think that Japanese men are not much different from their European or American counterparts per se. Well, you would be very wrong! Having a very unique culture which dictates many rules to its bearers, Japan is different from the Western world in various spheres. Of course, not only Japanese men, but also Japanese women tend to be different from Western girls. In this article we will try to discuss some of the main types of Japanese men (please keep in mind that these are in no way absolute, but only generalizations and may not apply to the Japanese guys you get to meet).

The Salaryman

This is probably the most common type of Japanese men. They are serious about their work, and only about their work, really. They will graduate from university, get a job with a moderately high salary, and probably marry in their early or late 30s. Even after the marriage and the birth of children, however, the most important thing in their life will probably still be their job. They will work overtime until well into the night, come home tired, eat supper, take a bath and go to sleep straight away. The overall image might sound quite unappealing, but it shows Japanese culture at its best: work hard, be the breadwinner for your family, support them in a way they won’t ever have a need for anything, and most importantly, don’t lose face in the society, don’t cause problems for those surrounding you.

Either way, while Japanese men are very serious about their jobs, they will be sure to take good care of their families!

The Shy Guy

These are pretty much the equivalent of the ‘nice guys’ sometimes even called ‘Herbivore Men’. They find it difficult to communicate with girls, either because they have gone to all-boys schools, or maybe because they had previously been rejected once or twice. They will start talking to a girl, probably going out on dates, then they will give clear signs that they like the girl, and so will do the girl… but nothing will happen because they will most likely not make any moves.

In Japan for a girl and a boy to start dating, one of them will have to make a kokuhaku (confession) first. This is basically a way of asking the person you like to date you. Interestingly enough it is mostly the girls who make the kokuhaku. The best advice one would give a girl who wants to see some progress in the relationship with the guy they like in Japan, is to be more proactive and approach the guys head on!

The Otaku

Now, you have most likely heard about the otaku guys, but believe me, they are not exactly what you are expecting them to be. No, these are not men still living in the basement of their mothers house well into their mid 30s, with a room full for figurines and other anime merchandise. They will most likely strike you as the shy type at first, because they aren’t well-adjusted around women. But if they are in a company of good friends who have earned their trust, and who won’t ridicule them, the otaku guys will open up and become the soul of the party! Either way, don’t be too fast to judge them. Liking anime or manga is no different from liking Western TV shows and binge watching them.

The Gaijin Hunter

If you are a Western girl in Japan, this is the type of the guys that will approach you the most. You might be sitting in a coffee house just doing your thing, or hanging out with your friends in a pub, or even swiping left and right on Tinder (which is quite popular in Japan, by the way), and then a guy will pop up in front of you, all full of confidence, but unable to produce even one coherent sentence in English. Now, why do I mention the English bit? To mock them for their inability? Definitely no. Then why, you ask? Well, because after striking a conversation with you for less than about two minutes they will exclaim at you ‘EIGO OSHIETE’ (Teach me some English).

These guys are usually interested in foreign girls for their ability of teaching English. Yet again, this is not absolute. Many guys will ask you to teach them English, and then when you get closer and offer to actually help them with their English, they will brush it off and say they’re not up for studying.

The I am not Like the Others

These are boys probably in their early 20s. They are second or third year university students, and after having tasted the freedom which university offer them, they decide to drastically change something about their appearances so that they will seem different from everybody else around them. In most of the cases these boys will end up dying their hair blond or light brown, and get their ears pierced.

But guess what? By doing this they will end up looking exactly like everybody else in their circles of friends! Not that it’s a bad thing though. Being able to express yourself is always laudable!

These are some of the main types of men you will encounter if you end up in Japan. However, as already mentioned in the beginning of the article, please remember that these are not absolute and the guys you make acquaintance with might differ from those introduced in our list. Every person is unique and that is exactly what makes them special! Go out and experience as many types as possible!

On a last note, for those who prefer a more casual type of dating, and the reassurance of knowing what to expect, then you know where to go! Give us a call at Universe Club!