Take our user survey and make your voice heard.
“He works all weekend long.” “He’s too physical.” “They don’t have any money.” Those sound like common complaints that anyone on the dating scene might make, but in Japan — you may be surprised to find out — these are in fact referring to specific careers. Yes, that’s right. Having a certain career can kill your love life. Or, at the very least, that’s what Japanese men’s and women’s tabloid magazines (and certain blogs) will have you believe.
The “don’t date careers” trend has been around for a couple of decades now, but hearing it brought up again on a morning TV show this October really got me thinking. I talked to a few friends about it over drinks, and their answers made me think even more about it — so much so that I ended up informally interviewing/surveying about 30 Japanese men and women from the ages of 23-55 about these career biases.
The original 'non-dateable careers'
Beginning in the late-90s-early 2000s, women’s magazines like Ageha, AnAn, Can-Can, Non-No and the like surveyed women from all ages and discovered that there were three jobs, referred to as the 3Bs, that were ranked as the least desired professionals to date.
The 3B’s are band members, bartenders, and biyoshi (美容師) or beauticians/hairdressers. These men are often considered as handsome and best-dressed men about town, but they aren’t seen as the ideal partners thanks to their irregular work schedules, less than steady incomes and flirty, womanizing reputations.
Recent changes: From 3Bs to 5Bs
Nowadays, there are anywhere from three to 10 Bs, although from 2016 to present most magazines and blogs agree on the 5Bs: bartenders, biyoshi, bassists (the alleged worst offenders of the band member bunch), bloggers and binbo (貧乏) or “broke boys.” These broke boys aren’t poor because of bad planning so much as a refusal to work and/or reliance on mum and dad for their financial needs. Bloggers give the impression of an unstable income, which many women fear may affect their own lifestyle and finances.
Click here to read more.
- External Link
- https://savvytokyo.com/
14 Comments
Login to comment
Strangerland
A professional is one who does their activity as a profession. So if one is playing in a band as their profession, they are a professional. If one tends a bar as their profession, they are a professional.
kurisupisu
Put English on the list-monetary recompense falling for many years now.
Some jobs pay 1000 yen an hour, same as a bartender without the free drinks.....
Dirk T
A version of this article gets recycled every year ...
Insane Wayne
They are too “into themselves” to be dateable. To tell the truth, most girls prefer animation characters or robotic dogs over the type of boys that can be categorized by an acronym.
Strangerland
Oh? And since when exactly have we started using this new definition of the word?
englisc aspyrgend
And they wonder why the birth rate is going down!
UlsterBoy
When you consider that a dinner date with a Woman at a plush place can cost 10k, if you're earning 1K ... that's a days salary gone. Your job doesn't need to begin with a "B"... your life status however of "Broke" may be more relevant.
thepersoniamnow
Lol some nonsense here, as these also are definitely not the loneliest professions either.
Would like to point out the main factor here....MONEY!
I don’t think a good looking bar owner, salon owner, or successful band member will have any problems, do you?
If you are good looking out got it made. If you are good looking and rich, double so.
WA4TKG
Lol...when I worked in Nishi-Azabu, I didn't even NEED to "Date". :)
Serrano
“He works all weekend long.”
Yeah but he has off on Tuesdays, lol.
"bassists (the alleged worst offenders of the band member bunch)"
Not the drummers? LOL.
Nathan Brown
No, a profession isn't just a job, it requires training and education/certification. If any idiot can rock up and do it then by definition it isn't a profession.
blahblah222
People who work in those jobs have the most girlfriends and get the most action though. Woman here are willing to pay over 1M a night for these types in host clubs etc.
Sure women may marry a salaryman with a stable job and good income, but will rarely like the husband. They would just use their husband’s money on host clubs and boyfriends.