In Japan, a
survey about youth love conducted a few years ago has once again become a
trending topic on social media. The survey, conducted in 2020, asked girls
between the ages of 13 and 19 about their preferences in romance, such as the
ideal age of their partner, what qualities attract them the most, and whether
they would agree to meet someone through social media or dating apps.
One of the
most interesting topics was the age of the ideal partner. The majority of
respondents, 55%, preferred to date someone older, while 42% opted for someone
their own age and only 3% preferred a partner younger than themselves. And for
those who preferred to date someone older, the age limit they considered
acceptable varied.
Twenty-four
percent were fine with a five-year age difference, 21 percent were fine with a
ten-year age difference, and 14 percent preferred just three years. What was
surprising was that among high school students, one in four would not mind if
their partner was ten or more years older than them.
And as for
what they look for in a partner, the answers were more than predictable.
Physically, the most valued traits were height, an attractive face and a clean
and well-styled appearance. As for personality, the most important thing was
that he or she be kind, have a sense of humor, be attentive and someone you
could trust.
But another
interesting point was the general perception of love. At that time, 32% of the
respondents had a platonic love, but only 8% had a boyfriend. Despite that, 78%
said they did want to have a partner at some point, and it was highlighted that
60% saw it as a good thing to meet someone through social networks or dating
apps, which shows that these types of encounters are increasingly common.
Although
the survey is from 2020, it has gone viral because it has once again sparked
debate about romance in Japan and the fact that younger women are preferring
older men:
- " You're looking
for partners 30 years older, right? "
- « Well, since their
second year of high school, girls have been dating older guys. It's
normal, they have cars and money ».
- " For a
17-year-old girl, a 27-year-old man has more money, it's obvious she would
want to go out with him ."
- " What am I
supposed to talk about with a teenage girl? "
- « Another change will
come. Soon people will be too poor to afford luxuries and marriage will
return to what it was in the Showa era, when it was more a matter of
survival as a couple .»
- « One of my third-grade
students says she would date someone up to 35 without a problem .»
- " If the age
difference is 30, there is no problem. There are always young girls who
like older men ."
- « The body of a thin
18-year-old girl is crazy. She looks like a girl in primary or secondary
school, the feeling of sin is brutal .»
- « Every time I see
threads like this, I realize that the whole "drawings solve the
problem, we need to protect them" thing is a lie. It
only fuels real desires even more »
- « I once knew someone
who was strangely trusting, and now I understand why. I just want to take
care of my family, I don't need that hassle (I put up with it as best I
can) ».
- « Women don't cling to
age as much as men do. Some men complain that women only look for men with
money, but men are the ones who pay more attention to age .»
- " The question is
whether they would accept being up to 10 years older. You
can dream whatever you want ."
- « I guess kids his age are too immature. I see too many high school students playing ball with elementary school kids in the park ».
- « Make no mistake, the
ugly ones stay out ».
