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'Ask Caroline' series for Japanese women launched

37 Comments

From popular Shukan ST columnist, international women’s magazine publisher, bestselling author, and award-winning entrepreneur Caroline Pover, comes the first in a unique series of books created especially for Japanese women.

Having lived in Japan since 1996, Pover is accustomed to being asked a wide range of questions about her life, her culture, her opinions, and her experiences. Committed to helping women live happy and fulfilling lives, the “Ask Caroline” series provides information, inspiration, comfort, encouragement, and entertainment while answering those questions you’ve always wanted to ask a foreign woman!

The first in the series answers questions posed by real Japanese women, on life, love, work, sex, marriage, and motherhood—all those things that matter to the women of today. Sometimes serious, sometimes hilarious; Pover also shares her personal experiences with readers—no topic is taboo for this British woman who has made Japan her home.

This completely bilingual series is appealing to Japanese women, irrespective of English ability, but helpfully contains some essential English phrases specifically for the woman of the world and not found in your English language textbooks. With tips on behaving in a globally sophisticated manner, and plenty of interesting topics for discussion between you and your girlfriends, this book is a wonderful companion for the spiritually adventurous Japanese woman, and a perfect resource for any language students looking for something just a little bit different!

Book 1 answers:

• Why are foreigners interested in Japan? • Do foreign women like trying to wear kimono? • What do you think about living with parents as an adult? • Why do Western women have male friends? • Who usually pays on a date? • Do you have sex on a first date? • What kind of underwear do you wear? • Why do you try to be sexy, whereas we want to be cute? • Do you stop work after getting married? • Why do Western mothers try to keep their independence?

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I can only hope Japanese women will view this stuff with passive interest. Japanese women have been westernized quite enough. Japanese women always had power. The trouble is that western women think power and leverage are the same. Not cute and not sexy either.

I am curious about this "sex on a first date" question. And yeah, I am thinking the western woman answer is going to have a lot to do with how the girl lost leverage but not put it so bluntly.

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She's that Being a Broad woman.

"What kind of underwear do you wear?"

The only kind of underwear women should wear is red.

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who?

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I love the color of her hair, so beautiful! I would like to ask Caroline where can I get this color in Tokyo. thanks.

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Ask Caroline; Why are Jmen scared to death of foreign women?

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I still prefer "Dear Abby". ;)

IMO all those advice columns are useless and I seen a few in my times from advise for teenagers, etc.

Many of the articles look they were written to attract readers.

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Japlan, good theme!

Ask Caroline: Why do many western men pass up the western women and make a bee-line for JWomen?

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Why do many western men pass up the western women and make a bee-line for JWomen?

Because they do not like challenges for their brains.

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LoveUSA: "they ( western men ) do not like challenges for their brains"

I believe you just insulted the intelligence of Japanese women.

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It would be interested to see a Japanese woman releasing an "ask Yuko" app. To hear other sides of the same issues.

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The questions "why are Jmen scared to death of foreign women" and "why do many western men ... make a bee-line for Jwomen" are the same question. Which I won't go into here ^_^

It's always revealing having an outsider comment to a native audience. I recall a series of articles in an American periodical about an expat returned to The States after 20 years abroad; who felt like a foreigner, and commented from that perspective. It was very enlightening.

Advice columns seem more beneficial as a spur to discussion than as actual guides; do we agree with the advice, or not, and why? What do the topics say about our interests? Fun for water cooler debates. And the bi-lingual bit is a nice touch for learning English.

Anyway, Western women in kimono; at the very least a fashion police felony. Should be banned.

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LoveUSA said: Because they do not like challenges for their brains.

You have something of a point. I certainly don't enjoy a woman who is intentionally difficult, especially if she is trying to leverage me. I like women who just plain like me back. If I want a challenge, I can purchase a new video game. Besides, I got better things to do in life than try to figure out if the girl is just being a challenge, or if she just doesn't like me or if she is a lesbian or whatever.

Further, note your condescending tone. You are actually making the case for JWomen.

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Anyway, Western women in kimono; at the very least a fashion police felony. Should be banned.

I have seen western (caucasian) women who look great in kimono and Japanese women who didn't. One glaring problem is breast size. Larger breasts do not go with a kimono. Neither does excess fat by the way.

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Why do many western men pass up the western women and make a bee-line for JWomen?

Because they do not like challenges for their brains.

Riiight. We pass them up because western women are a tremendous waste of time that always try to manipulate and play mind games. Then after they enslave a poor sap into marriage, they get bored of the manipulation, divorce hime and take half his stuff. You all do it to yourselves. But you cna replace Jwomen with foreign women. South America and other Asian countries are good too.

Also foreign ladies need to stay out of kimonos...hideous. You want to wear them? Well start wearing sumo belts

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We pass them up because western women are a tremendous waste of time

I am so amused of foreign men married to Japanese women who stalk foreign women for attention

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Further, note your condescending tone. You are actually making the case for JWomen.

Actually I am an Oriental woman.

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I've met Caroline a few times. She's a skilled entreprenuer so good on her for another venture.

As an aside, I've met a few Japanese girls who've definitely taken the ideal of what women in the west are supposed to be like and gone rather extreme with it - downright rude stuff. Caroline can you help these ladies??

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Because they do not like challenges for their brains. Love USA: agreed with you on 80 pct

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it seems to be very interesting book any way

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The questions in the first book are pretty basic. Was a book really necessary? Q. Why are foreigners interested in Japan? A. Foreign women aren't. At least none of my friends would live here.

Q. Do foreign women like trying to wear kimono? A. I doubt they think about it unless on vacation in Japan. And then briefly.

Q. What do you think about living with parents as an adult? A. We consider it to be more or less pathetic after college.

Q.Why do Western women have male friends? A. Because 50% of the planet's population are male and women in the west are mature enough to know that a man and woman can have a non-sexual relationship.

Q.Who usually pays on a date? A. Depends on the couple.

Q. Do you have sex on a first date? A. Some people do, some don't.

Q. What kind of underwear do you wear? A. What kind do you wear?

Q. Why do you try to be sexy, whereas we want to be cute? A. Because cute is for bunnies, puppies and girls under 18. Cute for adult women is well... rather sad and embarrasing.

Q. Do you stop work after getting married? A. If you like being dependent and poor, why not? But women in the west like to be independent and like to contribute to the family income. See two incomes empower better living standards for the family. Try it sometime.

Q. Why do Western mothers try to keep their independence? A. Fact 1. Women out live men, so sooner or later you had better be ready for independence. Fact 2 Divorce happens. See outcome of fact 1. Fact 3. Dependence is for drug addicts and smokers not for normal people.

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Where's my book deal? Could answer these questions in one paragraph.

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tkoind2: i just adore your posts!:) thanks

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Cute for adult women is well... rather sad and embarrasing.

tkoind2, please be prepared fo the hair band, ribbon type which sticks out like bunny years.This looks good on 5 year olds but I see quite a few obasans sporting them. I really don't know what they were thinking.Somehow I am having bit of a time to accept that look. But doesn't matter, the eyesor will go away.

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womanforwomen. I noticed that disturbing trend too. Looks ok on young teen girls, after all fashion tragedies at that age are to be expected and encouraged for creativity. But after 22 or so, one has to wonder just what is going on inside that fluffy hair covered head.

Being a guy in Japan, of course I love cute to a certain degree. The creativity of cute here defies imagination. And once in a while some older girls pull this off somehow. But there is a certain tragic nature to kawaii after a certain age. Almost like an unhealthy denial of aging, or worst, some compelling social mandate to remain prepubescent and childlike to be attractive. This scares me.

But what scares me more are books like this. Or maybe not the book itself, but the market that would support it with sales. I really should sit down with my female friends at home and conjure up a book of secret romantic insights of western women. Would sell like made, but I would have to live with having unleashed something so terrible on the world. :(

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tkoind2

if they find out their whole maturity as a person has been a lie, that might require a counseling followup volume or six

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sf2k. I guess my writing career is still an option with such titles as

"Life After Kawaii" "How Not To Be A Barbie Play Thing!" "10 Steps to Gainful Employment for Garu" "No Hostessing Is Not A Respectable Career Choice"

Should have gotten that clinical social worker degree afterall. Opportunities lost I guess.

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"No Hostessing Is Not A Respectable Career Choice"

Hey!!!! Uncalled for!!

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I really should sit down with my female friends at home and conjure up a book of secret romantic insights of western women. Would sell like made, but I would have to live with having unleashed something so terrible on the world. :(

tkoind2 just go for it. And I promise you ou can lure the Ask Caroline audience to your magazine. For the fun sake, you know many of the JT posters will read it. Expose it. Opportunties gained!

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genji17. Just one question. Would you want your daughter selecting hostessing as a job?

I have met a few mid-thirties women who lived life as hostesses when younger. Now they are no longer so popular with clients, have bypassed real relationships in favor of paying relationships with clients they can barely stand. And they have hard core Cinderella notions of what they expect for their future. When in reality, their inflexibility and bad post hostessing attitudes will likely leave them aging and alone.

It is a sad career that someone needs to start talking about so young girls can see past the instant glamour and money to see the downstream damage such a career typically delivers.

Uncalled for? Not in the least. Late and necessary? You bet!

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womenforwomen. Let's kick something off. Pseudo psychology, fashion tips, secret relevations, a little sexy topic here and there and we will bury Ask Caroline in our dust as we outsell them. Maybe a follow on book or two written by some well paid ghost writers to add a little book store cred to the magazine.

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Oh I forgot fortune telling and a little blood type insight. ;)

Moderator: Back on topic please.

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Imho: in japan the problem is copy – paste culture. Once any thing is popular ( hair band, bag, etc) everyone must have it, no matter if it is suitable, looking good etc. few people know how to express their own tastes and style, but most are just copying advices taken from books and magazines

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tkoind2

Thanks you said it all. This is a magazine aimed for Japanese women who married in the bubble era.

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genji17. Just one question. Would you want your daughter selecting hostessing as a job?

As a lifer? No. But it is a way better way to pay off school than stripping or fuzoku.

Being a hostess for too long, I agree with youTK. Kinda of like teaching english here, a year or two to get some cash and fun, but then after that you have no skills and need to go to the real world

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As a reply to the article, I would say a magazine like this does not surprise me in Japan. As was mentioned before, I agree that Japan has a large "copy and paste" culture with very little new information (not just fashion or style) actually written. Now, if only we can get a man to write the same thing for men in Japan, then I would be happy. At least I would not be pestered with the same basic questions every week.

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LoveUSA: "they ( western men ) do not like challenges for their brains"

I believe you just insulted the intelligence of Japanese women.

And western men all in one go. While women don't like to be stereotyped, they sure pile it on western men seen with Japanese women...

marushka, please...in any country when something is popular everyone must have it...lower back tatoos, UGG boots, low-rise jeans, ring a bell? It makes me laugh when everyone in X country is dressed the same, for citizens of X to say that Japanese are copy cats.'They all dress the same' say a nation of young women in butt-crack jeans and young men in backwards baseball caps and baggy shirts with their pants falling off... :-D

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Himajin: I am not referring only to the fashion ( boots, bag etc), but to the life style. I am buying as well all these women magazines, but I will never take anything seriously from there. It is just train reading to kill my time. But in japan influence of media is enormous and impact of “ copy- paste” is bigger

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