The best way to connect in an email conversation is to simply be sincere and express your interest in getting to know more about her. Be positive and do not be overly dramatic. Keep your communication light and cheerful. Tell her simply that you would like to start email conversations and that it would be fun to get to know more about each other. This is an example of an opening email, “Hi Mariko! My name is James Smith. I was happy to get your email and I think it would be fun to get to know you. I like your profile picture, you have a great smile! Hope to hear back from you soon. James”
This email shows James is interested, he’s a cheerful guy, and is open to speaking to her. It is a simple introduction for her to write back to James. The compliment on her smile is a nice touch. It’s not an over the top or rude compliment. It is just right for an opening introduction. Waiting for her response may be a bit nerve wracking. She may respond immediately, or in a few days or --be prepared--not all all. That happens in real life dates and on e-dating sites too. Don’t take it harshly. Pick yourself up and try again. If she doesn’t respond right away simple follow ups are best. Something like, “Ohayo gozaimas! Good morning! I’m on my way to work and just wanted to say hello. Have a great day! James” Surprisingly, these little types of messages spark interest and often get a response.
Just a few “housekeeping” tips here before we go on. Do write clearly and don’t use a lot of slang. Chances are she may not fully understand American slang and may become uncomfortable trying to draft a response to you which means she probably won’t. Be on your best behaviour. Be polite and be a gentleman. It does not mean you need to sound uptight or stuffy. It does mean don’t be rude or offensive. Where you might think that you are being funny, it might not be translated that way. Save it for later when you know more about her.
Now then, how to keep the emails going once the initial responses have been made on both sides? Here is where you will need to be persistent and steer the conversation. The key is to keep the messages short but with enough information to encourage follow up questions and further conversation. Again keep it light, fun, and simple. You may be wondering, “how do I keep it light and fun?” This may sound strange, but use smiley face emojis, rainbows, hearts, acronyms (LOL, ROFLOL) all that stuff goes a long way in electronic conversations. Remember, Japanese invented emojis in the first place so use them! Tell her about yourself and your interests and the things you value and care about. Find out those same things about her. Be authentic and have fun in this process. Sometimes keeping a routine to your emails is good, for instance if emailing before going to work or leaving messages for each other before going to bed at night is a good routine for both of you start doing that. Many couples find themselves looking forward to the morning or evening exchange. During the day send her a quick emoji text or greeting once and awhile, she will
appreciate to know you are thinking about her.
At some point you will want to talk to each other using Facetime or Skype. Don’t feel like you need to wait a long time to suggest this. Sometimes a Japanese woman will be shy to be the first one to ask. If you feel that it would be a good time to ask to talk just do it. It might be hard to communicate at first but you will get the hang of it. You may be self-conscious of your ability to communicate in Japanese and she may be self-conscious about her ability to communicate in English, but that too is part of the fun in an international relationship.
Enjoy the process and before long you may find yourselves discussing travel plans and dates for when you can actually physically meet each other. Like so many EM Club couples before you, a simple email led to a happy marriage. Aloha!
Want to marry a Japanese woman?Talk with our professional matchmaker. Try EM CLUB Today! EM CLUB 2222 Kalakaua Ave Suite 700A Honolulu, HI 96815 Phone: (808) 926-0101 Email: info@emclub.jp
Winters in Japan can get pretty cold. In Japan, people eat foods for different seasons and in the winter there are some foods that are perfect for the brisk winter weather.
The great thing about Japanese foods is that they are meant to be shared. Perfect couples food! While in the west we have similar winter foods like beef stews, soups and maybe a big pot of chili, in Japan the foods are also like stews but are so full of variety and flavor that you will definitely be wanting more. An added plus, they are a lot of fun to share with your special Japanese lady.
One of the most popular winter foods is hands down, “ Nabe ” . Nabe is a Japanese name for a hot pot dish. Just to name a few types of nabe, shabushabu and sukiyaki are perhaps among the most well-known.
Shabushabu is a very popular nabe dish among Japanese and it is finding popularity outside of Japan as well. Shabushabu is eaten by bathing thinly sliced meats into a kelp based dashi soup. There are also vegetables that you dip into the dashi soup as well. It is a lot of fun to eat and share with your loved one because of the way it is prepared. Usually a large pot of broth is set in front of you with the meats (usually beef or pork, sometimes chicken) and the vegetables (shitake or straw mushrooms, nappa cabbage, scallions, carrots, etc.) to the side. You and your lady friend can take turns dipping the items into the broth and there are usually dipping sauces as well to enhance the flavors. The broth itself takes on the wonderful flavors of the meats and vegetables. It is a wonderfully warming meal during winter and washed down with a beeru or sake makes for a great date on a winter night.
Sukiyaki is a traditional nabe dish that is enjoyed during the winter months. The origin of sukiyaki dates back to the late Edo period. Sukiyaki is also known as gyunabe which means beef pot in Japanese. Imagine yourself eating this dish during the cold winter with your Japanese girlfriend knowing that you are eating a dish that was eaten during the samurai era. The main ingredients in sukiyaki are thin slices of beef, and vegetables such as onions, shitake mushrooms and nappa cabbage. The unique taste of the broth for sukiyaki differs from shabushabu. Sukiyaki broth uses sake, shoyu, and sugar to create a unique savory flavor. Also, when eating sukiyaki a small bowl with a raw egg is scrambled and the meats are dipped into this raw egg like a dipping sauce before eating. The combination of the salty-sweet ingredients with the full-bodied flavor of the raw egg is a perfect pairing in taste and textures.
Another hearty winter food is chanko nabe. Chanko nabe is a hot pot delicacy prepared and eaten by sumo wrestlers as part of their training diet. It is high in protein and also has a lot of vegetables that help sumo wrestlers maintain their strength and maximize their recovery after strenuous workouts. The portions used for chanko nabe made for a sumo wrestler can be gargantuan! Two whole chickens can be used for a chanko nabe for one sumo wrestler alone! A dashi soup base is used and seasonings are added to the dashi itself as one prefers. Ingredients like meat, fish and vegetables are stewed together in large quantities. Remember this is a sumo wrestler’s daily meal so there are usually huge amounts of ingredients added to the stew! Of course, you can prepare yours in portions that are more reasonable for you and your Japanese friend.
Lastly, the proper way to finish your nabe dish is to put some rice into the soup. Boil the pot with the remaining broth and add a raw egg to the rice to make some zosui , a Japanese risotto. Some people prefer to add udon noodles instead of rice. Either way is delicious and a great way to end a warming meal shared between the two of you on a cold winter night.
Want to marry a Japanese woman?
Talk with our professional matchmaker.
Try EM CLUB Today!
EM CLUB 2222 Kalakaua Ave Suite 700A Honolulu, HI 96815
Phone: (808) 926-0101
Email: info@emclub.jp
One of the things that is great about living in Hawaii is that flights to Japan are not hard to find and are more affordable than flying to Japan from the mainland. The main things to remember when finding a good fare is to do your research, stay mindful of the season, and compare prices with several airlines before selecting the one that suits you best.
When I say select the flight that suits you best, I am not necessarily saying the flight that is the lowest price. Sometimes, the one that suits you best may not be the lowest price but it may be a bit higher because of the time of the flight, whether you prefer a direct flight or don’t mind a layover, or whether you are a no frills, no fuss no muss, type of traveler or the type of person who wants to travel in comfort and style with a lot of amenities. Obviously, it’s easy to figure out which type of traveler will end up spending more.
The reason we wanted to cover this topic is because if you are interested in meeting the Japanese woman of your dreams at some point along the way you will be making a trip to Japan. It could be a trip to meet her for the first time, or it could be later on in the relationship where you are traveling to meet her parents. Even further still, it may be one of many trips to Japan after your marriage to visit family or friends, or to enjoy a Japanese holiday with your children.
As was previously mentioned, it is a big advantage to be living in Hawaii if you are traveling to Japan. In one recent online comparison, it was found that there were 22 direct flights to Japan from Honolulu. This is a huge difference in comparison to other major cities flying direct to Japan: Los Angeles (9 flights), Chicago (6 flights) and New York (6 flights).
There are a two main things to keep in mind that will help greatly in finding an affordable flight: be flexible in your route and be flexible in your time for traveling.
There are over 800 airports in Japan. If you are truly looking to find a cheap fare research other airports other than Tokyo. Now this is not for everyone, but sometimes flights landing in another city than Tokyo can be cheaper. It could also be a nice way to see the rest of the country prior to reaching Tokyo (if Tokyo is one of your destinations). For example, there are many flights that land in Osaka from Honolulu and they are quite affordable.
If you choose to fly into another airport other than the two major Tokyo airports - Narita or Haneda - you can plan some other modes of transportation to get to other destinations which will allow you a chance to see the country.
The train system or shinkansen are high speed bullet trains and will allow you to travel comfortably for a reasonable price. You will be able to see the country as you travel by train which you would not be able to do in an airplane. Aside from trains, there are also buses that can take you between Osaka, Hokkaido, Kyoto and Tokyo. Buses will take a longer time to travel but are also a great way to see the countryside and are reasonably priced. If you and your Japanese sweetheart are traveling together it may be a romantic and enjoyable adventure to travel by train or bus together.
Staying flexible in your timing for travel can also have an effect on airfare price. Travel during spring time or cherry blossom season will usually have higher airfares because it is a very popular time to visit Japan. In contrast, travel during the summer months is usually much cheaper because it is not a popular travel time. If you research fares just before or after major festivals or popular seasons there is a good chance you will find some very reasonable airfares.
Want to marry a Japanese woman?
Talk with our professional matchmaker.
Try EM CLUB Today!
EM CLUB 2222 Kalakaua Ave Suite 700A Honolulu, HI 96815
Phone: (808) 926-0101
Email: info@emclub.jp
One of the things we don’t think about much in the United States is driving. Either you drive or you don’t. In most instances, Americans like driving and it is a rite of passage for a teenager to finally get their driver’s license. The days have passed long ago of “drive-in movies” where you could drive and watch a movie with your girlfriend all within the comfort of your automobile. Driving a car for an American teenager mostly meant freedom. Freedom to go where you wanted without having to ask your parents or someone else to take you.
In Japan, things are a little bit different. In Japan, getting a driver’s license is expensive, costing upwards to $4,000 for driving school. In Japan, the legal age to get a driver’s license is 18 years old. In the United States the legal age is 16 years old.
As a practical matter in most places of the United States it’s necessary to be able to drive. The mass transit and public transportation is either non-existent or not efficient enough to rely on without frustration on a daily basis. In contrast, Japan may arguably have one of the best public transportation systems in the world. As a result, it is a much more common and practical option to choose not to drive in Japan than it is in the United States.
If you’re a Beatles fan you are sure to have heard the song “Paperback Writer” but have you ever heard the phrase “Paper Driver”? In Japan, the term “paper driver” applies to individuals who have a driver’s license (the “paper” to drive) but actually do not drive at all.
As stated earlier, in Japan many teens take the driving lessons and take the exam to get the license upon turning eighteen. After passing the driver’s exam, a license is issued and is primarily used as an identification card rather than for actual driving.
There are many common sense reasons for being a “paper driver”. For instance, it is impractical to buy a car if you never use it. If you live in most urban areas of Japan you don’t really need a car. The buses, trains, and subways run on time and get you everywhere you need to go without driving and are very convenient. No need to worry about car payments. No need to worry about the price of gas or car maintenance costs. No need to worry about parking fees. No need to sit in traffic. Basically, it’s a pretty easy decision not to drive if you don’t have to.
As a result there are many Japanese with driver’s licenses who are “paper drivers”, that is to say, they are licensed on paper but have little experience actually driving. If the time comes where they actually need to drive there are many Japanese who have a driver’s license that take a driver’s lessons refresher course (for a much more affordable fee than regular drivers school) just to get familiar with driving before hitting the road for real.
It would be a funny and interesting conversation starter to ask your Japanese girlfriend if she is a “paper driver” or can actually drive. If she is a “paper driver” or does not have a driver’s license at all (which is not at all uncommon in Japan) you will need to drive her around Hawaii. In the case where she actually does have a driver’s license it may still be uncomfortable for her to actually drive if she hasn’t any experience driving. This would be a great opportunity for you to offer to take her driving around some empty parking lots or what not just to get familiar again with it. It could be a lot of fun ...or it could be totally nerve racking for you depending on how good a driver she is so use your best judgment!
Interestingly enough, if you were to go to Japan and have a Hawaii driver’s license it is very easy to get an international driver’s license. But alas, you may have difficulty reading signs written in Japanese. It may also be strange to find yourself driving on the opposite side of the road and not knowing the local speed limits. Now you are a “paper driver” in Japan! Your Japanese girlfriend can help you greatly by being your Japanese driving guide in Japan if you insist on driving. This could also be a lot of fun if you are up for it, or it could be nerve wracking! But not to worry, in Japan you there is always excellent public transportation as an option.
Want to marry a Japanese woman?
Talk with our professional matchmaker.
Try EM CLUB Today!
EM CLUB 2222 Kalakaua Ave Suite 700A Honolulu, HI 96815
Phone: (808) 926-0101
Email: info@emclub.jp
Seijin no hi translated as “Coming of Age Day” or “Adults Day” is a Japanese public holiday that occurs annually on every second Monday of January. The holiday honors every person that turned 20 years old over the previous year.
In Japan, when a person reaches twenty years of age they are officially recognized as adults (although voting age is 18 years old). Upon turning 20 years old a Japanese is responsible for their actions to society as an adult. They are legally able to buy alcohol and cigarettes, drink in clubs, go to hostess bars, gamble, and drive an automobile.
In America, although we have no official “coming of age” public holiday, young Americans also celebrate becoming a legal adult when they become 21 years old. Usually, the American celebration is a gathering of friends for a night on the town for fun and partying with lots of alcohol and good times. Some bars will even give you a free drink on your 21st birthday.
In Japan, coming of age day is celebrated more formally. After all, seijin no hi is a tradition that has at least a 200 year history in Japan. It is the formal welcome extended to Japanese young adults as they become contributing members to Japanese society. The holiday itself is a joyous celebration and is visually spectacular to behold.
The new adults dress formally for the occasion. Women wear formal kimono and the men usually wear western style formal wear, although some may opt to wear a formal men’s kimono with hakama. The exquisite kimonos worn by the young women are very elaborate. Most young ladies rent these kimonos for the occasion because the cost of such beautiful kimono are very expensive to buy.
The seijin no hi ceremony begins with the local politicians of each ward holding a special coming of age ceremony. One of the largest ceremonies is held in Shibuya ward in Tokyo. The mayor and others will usually will speak to the young adults. The event is held before lunch time normally around 11:30. At the larger celebrations, there may be live performances or a live band after the occasion. It is not unusual to see television news crews covering the colorful celebration. Families accompany the 20 year olds to the location and everyone is present for the ceremony. There will be a lot of photographs taken to remember the day.
After the public ceremony, the 20 year olds and their family members usually make a visit to a Shinto shrine to pray for good fortune and health in the future for the new adult. The celebration than continues over lunch at an izakaya to celebrate with family over good food and of course, to drink! The family will take many pictures on this day to memorialize this important occasion.
After the family time, the fun may continue into the night with groups of friends to go out eating and drinking at a bar or nightclub to celebrate their new freedom. It is a fun evening because all the other 20 year olds will be out as well to celebrate.
You may want to ask your Japanese lady friend about her coming of age day. There are certainly going to be good memories to discuss and she may have some pictures to show you. If you have ever wondered what your Japanese girlfriend looks like in a traditional kimono there will most likely be photographs of that special day in her life. It may also be a good conversation to have with her parents when you meet them. They will surely have photo albums to show you and will remember the day fondly.
There will probably be a few funny stories to tell that will bring laughter along with the reminiscing over a few glasses of sake or bieru.
Want to marry a Japanese woman?
Talk with our professional matchmaker.
Try EM CLUB Today!
EM CLUB 2222 Kalakaua Ave Suite 700A Honolulu, HI 96815
Phone: (808) 926-0101
Email: info@emclub.jp
Happy New Year! It’s the beginning of a brand new year. With the turn of the calendar we are brought to a whole new year of possibilities. Many people begin by making resolutions in the new year to change behaviours or achieve new personal and professional goals. It’s a chance to start fresh and there are a whole brand new twelve months ahead to reach whatever it is your heart dreams of.
Of course, this is an international dating website specializing in matching women in Japan with men living in Hawaii. If one of your new year’s resolutions is to find lasting love with a Japanese woman than we are here to help you make that dream into a reality in 2019.
Studies have shown that the majority of new year’s resolution never actually become a reality. The reason for this is that the person making the new year’s resolution has no plan or method on how to reach that goal. It is all well and good to be fired up to reach your goal when the ball drops on New year’s eve, but it is another thing altogether to be able to reach the goal you have set. What is the best way to reach your goal? To have a plan and to work that plan patiently step by step toward success. Rome was not built in a day. Any goal worth achieving takes time and patience.
EM Club has the method and the plan for you if you are willing to step forward to make your new year’s resolution to find the Japanese love of your life into a reality rather than wishful thinking. EM Club has been successfully matchmaking men living in Hawaii with Japanese women for more than sixteen years.
How do you take the first step? Well, in some ways you already have taken the first step by checking out our website and setting your goal to find love in the new year. The next step is relatively simple. You will need to contact the EM Club office and set up an appointment with an EM Club counselor.
There is no fee or charge to join EM Club. After meeting with our counselor for an interview you will have a profile created that will circulate on our website to be viewed by Japanese women members who will let us know of if they are interested in meeting you.
Usually, the introduction begins through emails. That is where the name EM Club comes from. The Japanese word “miai” means to meet face to face. The “E” in EM club is for electronic, thus “electronic” and “miai” together is EM Club. This is the club where you will intially meet electronically toward a face to face meeting with your Japanese love.
After chatting and introducing yourselves to each other electronically there will be an opportunity for the two of you to meet face to face either in Hawaii or in Japan. You may find that romance blossoms after meeting one another like so many of our couples have. If by chance however it turns out that the two of you are not a match that is not something to be sad
about.
The beauty of EM Club’s method is that our service aims to bring the right people together to find happiness. If it turns out that one match is not right for you, not to worry! Your profile will continue to be circulated and other Japanese ladies who are EM Club members will let you know if they are interested in you. After more than sixteen years of matching men in Hawaii with Japanese women we are happy to say we have successfully brought together many happy couples.
As the saying goes, “a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” If you are looking to find a new relationship this year than take the first step. You owe it to yourself to contact EM Club today and take the first step toward finding a new relationship in the new year.
Want to marry a Japanese woman?
Talk with our professional matchmaker.
Try EM CLUB Today!
EM CLUB 2222 Kalakaua Ave Suite 700A Honolulu, HI 96815
Phone: (808) 926-0101
Email: info@emclub.jp
