Christmas is just around the corner, and you know what that means! That's right, boys and girls. It's time to hurry up and find someone special to spend Christmas with! You don't want to be alone during Christmas, do you?
For many couples and lovers in Japan, Christmas (which is often another way of referring to the festivities that run throughout the entire month of December) is considered to be the "season of love". This isn't very surprising, what with all the presents that are exchanged, and the beautiful Christmas lights and decorations on the streets. According to Japan Today, 63% of Japanese singles admit to wanting to find a boyfriend or girlfriend before December 24.
Gōkon, or 合コン, is a type of matchmaking party. The term comes from a combination of the words "konpa" (コンパ), and "goudou" (合同). A konpa is actually a casual drinking party that is primarily held by university students in drinking establishments such as izakaya, or local pubs. Combine this term with goudou (meaning: combine, or join), and you've got yourself a goukon. Needless to say, this term literally means joint party.
Goukons are widely used to form friendships between two groups of the opposite gender. Generally, goukons are organized by two friends (a man and woman); each agreeing to bring three or four eligible―single―friends who are willing to meet new people. Contrary to popular belief, goukons are not primarily intended to result in one-night stands, but rather for making new friends and possibly forming long-term relationships. The goal of most goukon attendees is to acquire a boyfriend, or girlfriend.
Believe it or not, variations of goukons are actually recommended by parenting experts worldwide, and are considered a safer alternative to blind dates and online matchmaking. These "joint parties" also help to ease tension because both parties feel more comfortable having the company of their friends.
So if you're feeling lonely this Christmas, maybe you should consider forming a goukon of your own!
So what comes next? What's so special about being in a relationship for Christmas? What's all this hype about?
Well, according to the infamous "adventure blogger" Gakuranman, it's all about one spectacular Christmas date. "I was quite surprised when I first learnt about the significance of Christmas for couples in Japan," says Michael, "what caught me off guard was the pressure on the guy to buy expensive presents. I began hearing stories of expensive diamond rings and lavish presents of jewellery and dates at expensive restaurants. As a guy, we’re expected to go all-out!" Is this what "the season of love" generally entails? Perhaps if you are a young woman in Japan, you should start counting your blessings... by the number of sparkly presents you can squeeze out of your date.
According to Michael, a stereotypical Christmas date would begin at a nice, posh restaurant that was pre-booked long before the actual day of the date. The couple would be dressed in a fashionable attire, and the lucky guy would have a ludicrously expensive double-wrapped gift in his pocket. Afterwards, the couple would retire to a fancy hotel suite for a night to remember. (Let's hope it was worth it, because the stereotypical boyfriend's wallet took a massive hit.)
So to all you couples out there, don't forget to go out on a nice date this Christmas; regardless of whether or not you live in Japan! Boyfriends, don't forget to spoil your lovely ladies with a ludicrously expensive present this year!
And to everyone else, what kind of presents are you expecting this year? Who will you be spending Christmas with this year? Let me know in the comments below! As for me, I'll be spending Christmas (forever alone) with my pillow and a bucket of fried chicken! Merry Kentucky Christmas everyone!
For many couples and lovers in Japan, Christmas (which is often another way of referring to the festivities that run throughout the entire month of December) is considered to be the "season of love". This isn't very surprising, what with all the presents that are exchanged, and the beautiful Christmas lights and decorations on the streets. According to Japan Today, 63% of Japanese singles admit to wanting to find a boyfriend or girlfriend before December 24.
"[A] survey, conducted from Nov 20–25, covered 300 unmarried men women in their 20s to 40s. The results showed that 70% of men and 55% of women answered they want to find someone before Christmas or had felt that way at some point. Of these, when asked why they want to find a partner, 40% said “it’s the season of love,” 31% said they didn’t want to spend Christmas alone, and 2% said they wanted a present."―Japan Today.
Finding that special someone is another story though. 24% of the interviewed singles said that they plan on making it known to all that they were single and looking for someone, while 34% of the interviewed singles plan on attending "goukon" (matchmaking) parties with their friends. The remaining percentage of interviewees said that they were already in a relationship, or that they planned on spending the holidays at home with their family.
"Le Gokon" image source.
For those of you who don't know what a "goukon" is, let me take a moment to explain.Gōkon, or 合コン, is a type of matchmaking party. The term comes from a combination of the words "konpa" (コンパ), and "goudou" (合同). A konpa is actually a casual drinking party that is primarily held by university students in drinking establishments such as izakaya, or local pubs. Combine this term with goudou (meaning: combine, or join), and you've got yourself a goukon. Needless to say, this term literally means joint party.
Goukons are widely used to form friendships between two groups of the opposite gender. Generally, goukons are organized by two friends (a man and woman); each agreeing to bring three or four eligible―single―friends who are willing to meet new people. Contrary to popular belief, goukons are not primarily intended to result in one-night stands, but rather for making new friends and possibly forming long-term relationships. The goal of most goukon attendees is to acquire a boyfriend, or girlfriend.
Believe it or not, variations of goukons are actually recommended by parenting experts worldwide, and are considered a safer alternative to blind dates and online matchmaking. These "joint parties" also help to ease tension because both parties feel more comfortable having the company of their friends.
So if you're feeling lonely this Christmas, maybe you should consider forming a goukon of your own!
Genki Sudo can crash a goukon, and steal all the ladies.
So what comes next? What's so special about being in a relationship for Christmas? What's all this hype about?
Well, according to the infamous "adventure blogger" Gakuranman, it's all about one spectacular Christmas date. "I was quite surprised when I first learnt about the significance of Christmas for couples in Japan," says Michael, "what caught me off guard was the pressure on the guy to buy expensive presents. I began hearing stories of expensive diamond rings and lavish presents of jewellery and dates at expensive restaurants. As a guy, we’re expected to go all-out!" Is this what "the season of love" generally entails? Perhaps if you are a young woman in Japan, you should start counting your blessings... by the number of sparkly presents you can squeeze out of your date.
According to Michael, a stereotypical Christmas date would begin at a nice, posh restaurant that was pre-booked long before the actual day of the date. The couple would be dressed in a fashionable attire, and the lucky guy would have a ludicrously expensive double-wrapped gift in his pocket. Afterwards, the couple would retire to a fancy hotel suite for a night to remember. (Let's hope it was worth it, because the stereotypical boyfriend's wallet took a massive hit.)
So to all you couples out there, don't forget to go out on a nice date this Christmas; regardless of whether or not you live in Japan! Boyfriends, don't forget to spoil your lovely ladies with a ludicrously expensive present this year!
And to everyone else, what kind of presents are you expecting this year? Who will you be spending Christmas with this year? Let me know in the comments below! As for me, I'll be spending Christmas (forever alone) with my pillow and a bucket of fried chicken! Merry Kentucky Christmas everyone!
No comments:
Post a Comment