When a single man invites a lady to his home, it’s generally not without a bit of forethought. At the very least, one needs to make sure that the toilet’s clean and the seat is down before she arrives. It wouldn’t do to make a bad impression in one’s own home. But what about those personal items that may leave a bad impression all their own? There are surely a lot of things normally on display that wouldn’t suit an average woman’s sensitivities.

To get a better idea of the male approach to having female visitors, Trend News here in Japan asked a group of men in their 20s and 30s what things they try to hide before accepting a visit from a lady friend. Here are their top five answers!

  • 5. Ill-suited clothing accessories

Whether it’s a goofy-looking hat or an ugly pair of sunglasses, guys don’t want girls to take interest in an item that they know they look bad in. It’d be embarrassing if asked to try the terrible things on and could really ruin the effect of their personal style.

  • 4. Remnants of other women

Maybe a former girlfriend left behind a teddy bear, or maybe a guy just happens to own some frilly, pink towels. Many men will hide the things that look like they might have come from other women when they have a female guest on the way. Hopefully, a thorough cleaning will take care of any long stray hairs as well.

  • 3. Recently acquired hobby items

Say a guy just started learning how to play the guitar. Many guys stated that they were concerned they’d be asked to play as soon as a female guest caught sight of an instrument, which would be nothing short of devastating at this early stage, so would rather hide the item than risk such an awkward request. His brand new hobbies are really something to be revealed later, once he has a bit more confidence in his prowess. There’s a common fear that if a man gets asked to exhibit his talents on something he got into just recently, he’ll look like a unreliable flop rather than an dedicated achiever.

  • 2. Eye-catching books and CDs

A glance over a person’s shelves can give one a fairly good idea of their tastes and interests, like a gateway into their mind. For some men, this is a bit too much information to divulge. Either they don’t want the women who visit to jump to conclusions when they see some radical book title, or they don’t want to get overexcited when asked off-handedly about their favorite CDs.

  • 1. Porn

There it is! As should be expected, the number one most hidden item is erotic DVDs and magazines. These items go straight to the bottom of a man’s deepest drawers. Sure, most women understand that a single man almost certainly has some adult material lying around. Many might not even care. But regardless of the woman’s attitude, for a man to have his porn stash discovered sounds unbearably awkward.

Of course, these aren’t the only things men might want to hide. The original list announced a number of runners-up. For example, just after Valentine’s Day, men may feel the need to hide their chocolates. As you may know, only men receive chocolate on Valentine’s Day in Japan, and while the sweet treats often come from friends and women in the workplace, guys wouldn’t want their female visitors to assume the worst and think they might have other girlfriends on the side.

Another interesting response was cockroach spray. It’s a good idea to have a can on standby, just in case some creepy crawlers appear, even in the cleanest of homes. But, if it’s left in plain sight, a girl might wonder if the place has a bug problem and be more wary of coming over. Good thinking, fellas!

So, what do you guys think? Is this an accurate list, or is there something else that you single men would be more inclined to hide? And how about the ladies? How would you react if you found these items sitting out in the open?

Source: Trend News (Japanese)
Top image: IKEA