Unexpected couples in Japan
Are there any couples around you who have unexpected combinations?
A couple where the woman is sociable and the man is introverted. A couple where the man loves fitness and the woman hates exercise.
My parents were one of those unlikely couples. They both were Japanese and raised in the same area. But they were different.
My mother loved to read from an early age, and was a serious and innocent person. My father was a man who had never read a book in his life and did not follow the normal ways of the world.
Why did my mother decide to marry my father, when he was so different from her? I wondered.
One day, I asked my mother why she married my father. She explained why.
Meddlesome neighbours and aunts were matchmakers in old Japan
My mother had been introduced to 27 men by her neighbours. In old Japan, neighbours or aunts used to be matchmakers and introduce possible future husbands to young women.
I am a Japanese professional matchmaker supporting Australian single men and Japanese single women. And I am not the only professional matchmaker. There are plenty of professional matchmakers in Japan.
But a long time ago, aunties or neighbors were the matchmakers. They liked to take care of young people, and they did it voluntarily.
So if someone had kept turning them down, they were not happy. One day they told my mother if she turned them down again, she would be alone for the rest of her life.
When she was told that , she became scared and decided not to turn down any man that was introduced to her.
And that’s when she was introduced to my father. What a tragedy for mum and what luck for my dad.! (Oops. Sorry, Dad.)
I felt so sorry for my mum and I imagined how sad she must have been on her wedding day. But the real story wasn’t as bad as I imagined.
Unexpected Couple can be longlasting
She started talking about her dates with my dad.
My dad ( of course at that time he wasn’t my dad) was making money from an illegal business. It was not exactly a crime, but it was a business that was against the law at the time.
My father bought a car that no one else had at the time, bought a fine suit and shoes, and came to pick up my mother. It was the target of great criticism in a small Japanese village.
She must have been scared to go on a date with such a man because she was very concerned about what the world would think of her.
I asked her how she felt about it. My mother then told me how her heart used to pound when she heard the sound of my father’s car engine.
I was in my 20s and I was very happy to hear that my mum had a sweet memory of my dad. They were together until they died.
Being with a Japanese woman could be refreshing and eye opening
My husband and I were very different when we met.
How we would spend the holidays was different. He read books on his holiday and I thought it was a waste of a holiday.
How to spend money was different. He used money to enjoy life now and I saved money to enjoy life in the future.
How to wrap Xmas presents was different. He wrapped presents without any kind of order. I wrapped them perfectly.
How to behave in front of the family was different. He hugged me in front of my brother and sister. I didn’t want to be hugged in front of them.
Everyday was surprising and sometimes stressful. But an unexpected couple has become a perfect couple. I think my husband has been enjoying being with his Japanese wife. And so have I with him.
You will never know until you try
We had an Online Speed Dating Event on October 2nd and there were several matches. One of them had an OMIAI (a first date) last Sunday and it went very well.
They both registered with OzMatch more than one year ago and they saw each other’s profile. They didn’t feel anything.
But when they met at the OzMatch online speed dating event and talked for 8 minutes in the private online room, they felt something good.
For both of them, this was an unexpected result and now they are excited to get to know each other.
If they had not attended the event, they would still be strangers to each other. What an interesting world it is, isn’t it?
It tells us that if you never try, you will never know who could be your perfect match.
OzMatch, an Australian and Japanese matchmaking agency, will hold an online speed dating event every month from now on and the next event is coming soon. It is on November 14th.
November’s event is for men over 40 and women over 30.
If you would like to meet our Japanese women and find your possible matches. You may think it’s a surprising combination even for you but it may change your life and make your 2022 happier.
If you never try, you will never know. So join our Online Speed Dating Event and see who it will go.