Surprisingly, discovering their partner in the arms of another lover is not at the number-one spot on this list.

When a relationship turns sour, it’s often hard to face the reality that a break-up might be on the cards for you and your partner. Dealing with the demise of a relationship is something that people approach in all sorts of ways, and while we all hope for a certain level of emotional maturity and mutual respect during the process, unfortunately, it doesn’t always work out that way.

So spare a thought for some of these female respondents to a recent survey in Japan detailing some of the worst-case breakup scenarios experienced by Japanese women. Published on the DoCoMo survey site Minna no Koe (“Everyone’s Voice”), these are the top seven responses by Tokyo women in their thirties to the question: “What’s the worst way a partner has broken up with you?”

7. I was dumped after my affair was revealed (141 responses/1 percent)

This entry at the bottom of the list can hardly come as a shock, seeing as many people would view this as a pretty valid reason to be dumped. Still, it appears that one percent of the survey respondents believed that for some reason, their infidelity would be forgiven.

6. I was dumped at a place where we both shared a lot of memories together (245 responses/3 percent)

Wow. Obviously some people like to stab someone in the heart and then turn the blade, by doing it in a setting that holds a lot of meaning for them both. Still, there’s some sort of weird logic to this approach, as it’s a sure-fire way of neutralising the location by killing all the good memories you created there.

5. I was dumped after we had a huge fight (245 responses/3 percent)

Though some couples claim to have never had an argument, for the large majority of us, a quarrel is a natural way to sort out feelings and unresolved issues, leading to a closer relationship. Still, there appear to be some arguments that can’t be recovered from, even if one partner thinks breaking up over it is uncalled for.

4. I was dumped when we went to visit family (658 responses/8 percent)

This appears to be an odd situation, and brings up more questions than answers, such as: Did the breakup occur during the actual visit to the family home? And was it at the partner’s home or the respondent’s home? Regardless of the details, given that relationships can go on for months without the family’s knowledge in Japan, meeting the family is akin to announcing, “This is the person I’m going to marry“. This push forward with the relationship isn’t always something that both partners want, leading to a breakup when it comes to crunch-time.

3. I was dumped via email or Line (messaging app) (827 responses/11 percent)

A cowardly way out of a relationship is to simply avoid a face-to-face meeting by turning to the power of the Internet and mobile messaging apps instead. Despite its coldness, this type of breakup is still prevalent not only in Japan but around the world as well.

2. I was dumped after I saw my partner cheating (1,887 responses/25 percent)

While it’s not clear whether the partner who discovered the clandestine affair would actually want to remain in the relationship afterwards anyway, this is still classified as one of the most shocking ways Japanese women have been dumped. Despite the initial shock, though, these women are better off without a lying, cheating philanderer by their side.

1. I was dumped when one day I didn’t hear from them anymore and they’d changed their number (2,506 responses/34 percent)

I think we can all agree that this would be one of the most shocking ways to have a partner break up with you, especially if you’re coasting along with love hearts in your eyes, thinking you’re destined to be together forever. We’re guessing that those choosing to take this cold-hearted breakup route probably haven’t revealed their work or address details to their partner, otherwise things could become worse than they’d ever imagined, with the risk of confrontations at work or home on the cards. Everyone deserves to at least be given enough respect to be told that the relationship is over so they can have some closure, no matter how difficult it might be.

So there you have it, the seven worst ways Japanese women have been dumped, according to over 7,000 respondents in Tokyo. Breakups are never easy, but if they’re unavoidable, take our advice and steer clear of employing any of the above methods, lest you end up scarring your partner and adding to the votes of future polls. On the other hand, if you want to settle down with a partner for life, check out the results of this survey to find out what makes a man the ideal husband for Japanese women.

Source: DoCoMo Minna no Koe
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