Quote:
Originally Posted by MMM
Keep in mind the divorce rate in Japan is much lower than in the US and UK. Adultery is more tolerated in Japan than in the US, so it surprises me a little to hear a lot of divorces take place due to adultery.
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Don't get me wrong! In Southern CA it seemed like the majority of people got divorced (I would not be surprised if the rate is over 50%). I'd say it's a fraction of that here. If I were to guess I'd say 5-10%.
I've heard people be almost frank and open about their extra-relationships. And dogsbody70, I think that the places 'salary-men go after work' are like snacks. Just a place to hang out with scantily clad women who'll pour your drinks and talk to you and sing karaoke with you and stuff like that. That culture seems to be completely accepted. Believe it or not, but salary women will get invited to those places as well. As far as the 'next level' of that goes, I'm really not familiar with it other than what I've heard. I've talked to a couple of guys who really see no problem with it. Of course I haven't heard the other side of that so who knows.
I honestly think the increasing divorce rate has to do with what I was talking about before-- past relationships were kind of 'set-up' in a way. It's more like two families got married than just two people. So there's the whole aspect of it that has to do with land and a house and all that jazz. So divorce was basically out of the question. Now-a-days, you see more and more people kind of selling off their land to convenience stores, pachinkos, or wherever. Some of those people move into a 'tract' house (like a neighborhood). People who aren't the oldest son/daughter will also do that a lot I feel. This takes away the whole 'two families getting married' concept. It also lessens the liklihood that grandparents will be living with their children/grandchildren. This situation certainly allows more 'freedom' in terms of choosing a partner. I think it also allows more 'freedom' in divorce as well. Maybe in the past it was considered trivial to get a divorce over a 'fling'. Now days there doesn't seem to be as much attached to the marriage, so getting divorced over a fling would be considered more economical. Also you used to have people basically decide your relationship... now you get to 'follow your heart' in a sense. Unfortunately a lot of people mistake their heart for other organs. Likewise, a lot of people might simply just second guess themselves (and decide they made a mistake on their first marriage). I've heard of stuff like that before too... maybe one person feels they should've married someone else (specific or otherwise) and kind of has a fling because of that... I think situations like that often get found out and end up in divorce as well.
I'm being irresponsible for not checking my 'I thinks' and all that. I know Japan does a survey every few years. I believe one just happened recently so it will be interesting to check out the newest hard data on this stuff.