There are several mistakes that men make on the first date with a Japanese woman, and I will share one of them with you.
Don’t send Buddhist flowers
Sometimes male members of OZMATCH make a cute mistake.
A cute mistake in my opinion, but one that can disappoint our Japanese ladies.
What kind of mistake is it?
FLOWERS.
仏花 (Bukka)
Do you know what 仏花（Bukka) is? 仏花（ぶっか / bukka）is Buddha flowers and they are offered at altars and graves.
As important offerings of compassion and gratitude in Buddhism, Buddhist flowers are displayed as a sign of respect for the Buddha and prayers for the repose of the souls of the deceased.
There are several manners for Buddhist flowers, including the type, colour and number of flowers. For example, the number of flowers should generally be an odd number (e.g. three, five or seven) and they should be displayed symmetrically. Also, flowers with strong fragrances or spikes should be avoided.
They are beautiful but not appropriate flowers to give to a Japanese woman on a first date.
Making the same mistake twice
I am now going to tell you the story of a couple. It is a true story.
There was an Australian man and a Japanese woman. He viewed her profile and had a strong feeling to her. So he requested an OMIAI ( a first date) to her and she said YES. The OMIAI went very well and they started contacting each other.
He fell very much in love with her, and ordered beautiful flowers online and arranged for them to be delivered to her in Japan.
However, the flowers were Buddhist flowers.
When she received the bouquet, she was more confused than happy and contacted me. I was not sure what to tell him.
To avoid embarrassing him, I explained to all the executive male members about the Buddha flowers and told them to be careful not to give your date any Buddha flowers.
However, my wording must have been indirect. He ordered flowers the following month and sent them to her himself.
To my surprise, they were Buddhist flowers again. After receiving Buddhist flowers twice, she started to cry. I felt so sorry for both of them.
Luckily, the couple are now married and living happily in Melbourne.
How to identify Buddhist flowers
Colour
White is the basic colour until the 49th day, after which light shades of white, yellow, purple, red and pink are the basic colours.
49th days (shiju-kunichi) refers to a memorial service held on the 49th day after the deceased’s death, or the period of time during which the service is held.
Number of flowers
The number of flowers is also in odd numbers, such as three, five or seven.
Types
Chrysanthemums, lilies, carnations and spray mums are often used.
If the flowers you are about to send her fall into all of the above categories, do not send them.
If you are in Japan and buying flowers for a Japanese woman from a florist, ask the florist if they are Buddhist flowers.
If you are ordering flowers online for a Japanese woman, you can use Google Translator to read the Japanese and check the meaning in English before ordering.
I am sure that Japanese women in OZMATCH will receive your thoughts and will not complain if you send Buddhist flowers by mistake, but they probably won’t know how to react.
So avoiding those confusion, read this page again and learn from it.
Do you want to learn Japanese culture and Japanese women?
We are a licensed matchmaking agency based in Brisbane, QLD Australia, supporting single men and single Japanese women who are looking for a long-lasting romantic relationship.
But our service does not end with the introduction.
We provide Online event for both male members and Japanese female members to learn about each other’s cultures.
Encountering Japanese cultures
OZMATCH cross-cultural events are organised with the following objectives.
- Broaden your horizons by interacting with Japanese women.
- Expose yourself to new values and ways of thinking.
- Provide an opportunity to reconsider the image of an ideal partner by learning about diverse values.
OZMATCH Cross-cultural Exchange Event Details
- Event Name : OZMATCH Online Cross-cultural Exchange Event
- Date and time: 31 May 2025 (Saturday), starting at 19:00 Brisbane time and scheduled to end at 20:30
- Place: The event will be held using the online conferencing system ZOOM.
- Participation fee: AUD $11
OZMATCH members are invited free of charge
If you are an OZMATCH member, you are invited free of charge!
