Sprucing up the Marriage Resume...in Japan

As I wrote in my previous post, marriage has fallen on hard times in Japan.  My completely unscientific explanation is that men and women here don't have the same expectations for marriage.  Japanese women seem to want partnership, romance and communication (as seen in American movies).  And it would appear Japanese men have been brought up to think romantic-type communication is unnecessary.  Thus, the problem.   But as you can see from the photo in the ad above, Japanese would-be grandmothers aren't giving up so easily.  Probably, the prospect of their adult children never leaving home is strong motivation to step in and give a gentle push.  So, a new industry of marriage counseling agencies has sprung up to aid them.  They see job hunting as a good pattern to follow when tracking down that perfect mate.  They encourage prospective spouses to build their skills, fix up their appearance and improve their conversation-making ability.  Mostly, they need to follow the rule of telemarketing...you gotta make a lot of calls before someone finally says yes.


I believe that since America is largely the cause of this gap in expectations, we should also be part of the solution.  Our ideal of marriage is quite good though difficult to maintain.  Therefore, Americans don't so much have a hard time getting married as they do staying married (note: I should know).  But I digress.  


Why not help Japanese men build their communication skills and their marriage resume?  All you English schools in Japan and America, why not offer some Marriage 101 classes that  help men learn to communicate their feelings, make their wives feel special, and do all the other touchy-feely things women all over the world like?  My father and brothers could teach these classes if you need help (can't wait to hear from my sisters-in-law).  You could boost your enrollment and be part of turning around the plunge in population!  After all, your schools won't last long if there are no more students.  Think about it.  Then, let us help you get the word out to these poor guys.  Their mothers will thank you... www.noah-digital.co.jp/english/