
Majority say a guy just has to do one thing, and no, it’s not “be handsome.”
Even more so than putting presents in stockings or goodwill towards men in your heart, Christmas in Japan is primarily about putting a romantic date in your schedule. Christmas Eve, in particular, is the country’s biggest date night, with couples heading out to admire the seasonal decorations, dine at fancy restaurants, and eat strawberry-topped cakes.
So once December rolls around, many single Japanese start sifting through their romantic prospects in search of someone to spend December 24 with. With this in mind, Japanese romance Internet portal Aikatsu posed a question to its single female users, asking them what criteria a man would have to meet for them to accept a Christmas Eve date invitation from him.
Replies from the 589 respondents were divided into five categories, with five percent of the women polled saying they’d only go out with their ideal Prince Charming, and another 15 percent who are only interested in spending Christmas Eve with a guy they feel they could have a serious relationship with.
Moving towards less stringent requirements, 10 percent of the women said they’d accept the invitation from a guy whose looks (specifically his facial appearance) and personality match their preferences. Even less picky were the 13 percent who said they’d go out with a guy as long as they didn’t feel an instinctive revulsion to him.
But even after all those votes were tallied, the majority, 55 percent, of the replies were left over for the group that said they’d accept a Christmas Eve date invitation from any guy.
Now, it’s worth remembering that the survey was done through a website that focusses on relationship topics and advice, and as such the participants are likely a bit more proactive in perusing romantic opportunities than the public at large. Still, it’s a reminder that a guy doesn’t always have to be perfect in order to get a date, but he probably does have to be confident enough to ask for one.

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