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In one of the most obvious conclusions since that survey that found people tend to buy potato chips in grocery stores, a new Japanese poll found that 80% of women have been hit on by strangers on the street at least once.

It’s really not surprising given that most guys have tried the random on-the-street approach at least a few times in their lives, either because of peer pressure or through a fleeting, spur-of-the-moment impulse. It seems to us as long as you’re polite and not overly aggressive, it doesn’t hurt to try, but apparently Japanese women disagree, since the poll also found that 65% of women reject those proposals outright. Why? Well…


It seems a lot of it has to do with… let’s be honest here: dudes not exactly being the most charming individuals around when they decide to make their move. Some women relate their specific experiences in the poll, and it’s kind of cringe-inducing:

“Some drunk guy hit on me in Shinjuku [a location notorious for guys trying to pick up]. He clearly wasn’t used to it and had zero confidence. I was 100% sure that I wouldn’t have a good time if I went along with this loser.”

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“A guy riding in a car yelled to me while I was walking on the sidewalk. He asked me where I was going. When I told him I was on my way home he said he’d see me off. Totally creepy.”

“A lot of guys try to hit on me from inside their cars. Sometimes it’s a whole group of them, which feels even more dangerous.”

“I get hit on, but I make it a rule to always decline. It always seems so shallow.”

“Sometimes a guy will just glance at me and immediately ask me out for tea or coffee. I have no idea what those guys are thinking.”

“I never give my details to a guy on the street. How can someone possibly think, ‘I like this chick’ after just one look?”

So, to summarize: the more you’re obvious about just wanting to hook up, the less likely you are to get a response from a woman, which makes, roughly, ALL the sense. Still, it appears as far as Japanese women are concerned, the answer isn’t always an automatic “no,” as demonstrated by the other 35% who say they’ve given their details or gone along with a guy trying to hit on them on the street:

“If it’s a guy who’s just way too hot to pass up, I’ll at least give my details.”

“Normally, I’d never give my information to some random guy on the street. But I go out for dinner and drinks alone a lot, so depending on the timing and the guy, I’d consider going along for a date.”

“Honestly, if the guy was, like, movie star-hot, I’d consider giving it a go.”

“I’ve never gone home with a guy, but if he’s with the band, or is one of the better looking guys in a club, I’ll at least give my details.”

Okay… So, it seems the guys aren’t the only ones who can be kind of shallow. Other times, it seems, it depends on technique and timing:

“I gave my details to a guy who asked me for directions once. I didn’t know exactly how to explain, so I just took him there. On the way, we hit it off and when he asked for my info, I gave it to him.”

“My friends and I were looking to go for karaoke and a guy just happened to invite us. I wouldn’t have given him my details but he gave me his business card and we ended up getting in touch later on.”

No matter where you go in the world, trying to pick up is going to be built into the culture. Sometimes, girls even decide to give it a go themselves, but most of the time it seems like one of those things dudes worldwide feel obligated to try at least a few times in their lives. How about you? Ever been hit on on the street? What was your response? Would you ever say yes? Under what circumstances? Are we asking too many questions? Come on, give us a chance…

Source: Niconico News
Feature photo, Inset