Things To Know About Dating A Japanese Boy

I don't think I really mentioned this here on the blog (definitely meant to write a post about it...), but Dai and I celebrated 3 years together back in August! I can't believe how quickly those 3 years have flown by and how many adventures we have been lucky enough to have together so far.

To me, what has in part made our relationship so interesting is that we are always learning new things about each other and our cultures. If you didn't know yet, Dai is Japanese and obviously I am American. Now, when I say that Dai is Japanese, I really mean that he was born there, but has lived here in the States since he was two-years-old. So, really, he was raised in the US, but still grew up in a very "Japanese" home and attended Japanese school on the weekends. He doesn't have a Japanese accent at all, but can fully speak and write in it. I tell him that he is basically Japanese-American but he hates that and insists he is just Japanese ;)

Thinking about these little things brings to mind what is unique about our relationship and what I have learned about dating a Japanese boy. Of course, there are always differences between people no matter who you date, but it is especially interesting when there are cultural differences as well.

Just for fun, I thought I would make a little list for your enjoyment of things that I have learned about dating a Japanese boy and things that I would maybe tell someone else who is doing the same :)

Note: This is meant to be read in a satirical fashion and not to be taken completely seriously ;)

+ They take great pride in Japan and aren't afraid to let you know why Japanese things are better than any others.

+ They take their karaoke gatherings pretty seriously and it is likely they will last no less than 3 hours. 95% of songs will be in Japanese, of course, and you will probably start to know some of them because they definitely repeat their favorites.

+ You will probably eat a lot of curry. And ramen.

+ Manga books are a big deal and it is normal to have an entire bookcase devoted to them, in addition to finding them in places like under the bed and in the closet.

+ They hate being cold and are strong believers in keeping themselves warm to ward off any sickness. Also, it is especially important to them to keep their stomachs warm, as it is believed to be the cause of tummy aches and other related things.

+ When hanging out with other Japanese friends, you will probably always meet at a Japanese restaurant, likely the same one every time. And you will stay there for hours.

+ Also, conversations will be a mixture of English and Japanese.

+ You will most likely have to eat a lot of foods that are outside your comfort zone.

+ They always bring gifts for those they are going to see on a trip, and always bring back gifts for those at home.

+ Things like hugging relatives may not be the family norm, but go ahead and do it anyway if you are feeling brave.

+ He will probably ask you if you guys can go to Japan every other day, even if you just recently went.

I hope you enjoyed this list and the little peek into our relationship. It was definitely fun to put together and to share with you all :)

Do you have any experience dating someone of a different culture? What have you learned about dating in general?

West Coast Love // SF Japanese Tea Garden

Remember the other day when I talked about that proposal we saw? Well, it was here, at the Japanese Tea Garden in SF's Golden Gate Park! Though I had been to Golden Gate Park numerous times, I had never made it into this tea garden until just the other day when Dai brought me here. It was really the sweetest little introduction to what our trip to the real Japan will be like (28 days to go, my friends!) and the perfect afternoon date.

We had the greatest time wandering around every inch of the garden, stopping to take photos or joke around (maybe someone had a little too much fun ;) ). I didn't realize that it was as big as it was; I was expecting something much smaller and was very pleasantly surprised. I loved all of the lush greenery and the colors from the flowers in bloom.
This bridge was so much fun to walk over! It is extremely steep and there are steps kind of like a ladder to get up and down from it. It was a bit scary, but definitely a cool thing to do.
The sakuras are in bloom! They are just so pretty. Wish we could see them when we go to Japan, but they are mostly in the north, somewhere I am told we won't really be visiting. Bummer.
That's our reflection from the top of that steep bridge :)
And there you have it! I am sure you will all get sick of me talking about anything Japanese related by the time May rolls around, but guys, I am so excited for our trip! If Dai and I can have this much fun wandering around a garden that isn't even really in Japan, think about how much fun we are going to have when we actually get there! I'm a lucky girl to have such a great adventuring companion :)

Japanese Tea Garden // 75 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, San Francisco, CA

It's a Japanese thing.

The other night, Dai dragged me out for something called "shabu-shabu." I will be completely honest, I was not so thrilled and was not really into the idea of trying something so new to me. So I dragged my heels and tried to convince him to go somewhere else, but I finally just sucked it up.

And you know what? I actually liked it. And it was kind of fun.

So here's the deal:

- You pick your broth. We got a split pot of spicy and seaweed flavored.

- You pick your meet. We got lean kobe beef.

- They give you a plate of veggies, a bowl of rice, and sauces as well.

- Then you dump stuff in the boiling pot of broth and it cooks.

- Then you dip it in the sauce and eat it.

So I guess this "shabu-shabu" stuff is Japanese hot-pot. I have never had hot-pot of any other sort, but I think I would like this one the most because it is simple and it is kind of fun to cook the stuff yourself. I know, it seems really counterproductive to eat out, but have to technically cook the stuff yourself. That's what I said too. But I guess you can just chalk it up to the "experience." Plus you don't have to prep or clean up, so it's kind of better than cooking at home :)

Shabuway is located at 145 E. 3rd Ave, San Mateo, CA, 94401