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Finding time for romance in Japan can sometimes be a difficult task. Many secondary schools prohibit their students from dating, under the logic that doing so keeps them focused on their studies. In college, most social interactions are centered around group activities with members of the same extracurricular clubs or research teams. And once you hit adulthood, there’s a chance that your company will pretty much dominate your day-to-day schedule, what with all the overtime and after-work drinking sessions.
So it’s not so surprising that many Japanese women end up finding the emotional/physical companionship they crave in the arms of a coworker. Still, the results of a recent survey show the practice to be surprisingly common among its participants.
Aikatsu, an internet portal catering to single women in their 20s and 30s, recently polled its female users, asking how many of them have, in its delicately chosen words, “had a physical relationship with someone from your workplace.” Out of the 1,162 responses collected, more than three in four women said they had slept with someone from the office.
Also, 45.5 percent of the survey participants said that not only had they had sex with a male colleague, but that the physical union had happened without the two being in a committed romantic relationship. An additional 32.2 percent said they’d only crossed that line after entering into a relationship with a male coworker, leaving just 22.3 percent who had never mixed business with consenting-adult pleasure.
Now, obviously, this shouldn’t be taken to say that people in Japan treat their offices like a meat market. However, as mentioned above, Japanese society often leaves adults with precious little time to meet people (or do much of anything) outside of work. Japan also has virtually no stigmas about romances beginning in the workplace, as long as things are kept discreet and everyone keeps fulfilling their professional responsibilities.
It’s also worth reiterating that out of those women who had consummated an office romance, a substantial portion only did so after they’d already become boyfriend and girlfriend, so it’s not like the Japanese business world is a hotbed of steamy, no-strings-attached sexual hookups.
So while Aikatsu’s survey suggests that love/lust can start to bloom in a Japanese office, it’s probably still a smart idea not to immediately assume that anyone who smiles at you in the break room is open to an even friendlier rendezvous between the sheets after you clock out.
Source: PR Times
Read more stories from SoraNews24.
-- Japanese women sound off on the line separating a male friend and a boyfriend
-- Nearly 40 percent of young, unmarried Japanese people say they don’t want a relationship
-- Do women who love manga have a harder time finding real-life romance?
- External Link
- https://soranews24.com/2018/06/05/over-75-percent-of-japanese-women-say-theyve-slept-with-a-male-coworker-in-survey/
46 Comments
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gogogo
It takes two to have sex, the title should read 75% of all staff have relationships.... why does this article just point out the women?
Strangerland
Because they didn’t survey the men, and the number would almost certainly not be the same.
Strangerland
It’s ok to sleep with women in your company if you do it right (and they are interested of course). If you do it properly it’s not a recipe for disaster. But as always, if you don’t know how to do it the right way (and if you’re thinking ‘what’s the right way’ you don’t), then you should err on the side of caution.
Dango bong
man that is a recipe for disaster. if you dump that girl you have many a difficult day ahead in the office
jan
Women who use a dating website in Japan is a terrible sample to run statistics off of haha this article is pointless
Jimizo
Sleep with a coworker?
I dread the few times in the year I’m obliged to drink with them.
Bintaro
I think the workplace is where most japanese people meet there wife/husband (as I remember an old survey).
And for most people, it's that, a marriage agency or a gokon, so... Not that surprising.
Vanillasludge
Too risky. Keep your work world and your personal life separate or they will come together in some really unpleasant ways.
thepersoniamnow
Burning Bush
Could be people just like you and me.
In most countries many people end up having done something with co workers.
Matt Hartwell
Maybe in Japan this is still possible, but in the West, particularly as a male? Not if you value your job.
I wouldn't even consider it.
Jimbo
I used to work in a large company in the Shibuya area several years ago, and I had two female colleagues that had some kind of playful competition with each other about the number of male colleagues they could sleep with. I would overhear them talking about their latest conquests, laughing about the performance of some of the guys, etc. Very interesting!
Scrote
Perhaps the office Lothario is getting all the action, whilst his co-workers go without?
Mocheake
Shouldn't be that surprising. That urge is in them when they are young. It just dies a slow and painful death after they hit a certain age or have kids.
Serrano
What percent of Japanese men say they have slept with a female co-worker?
gogogo
The number has to be the same to be in the same office... unless there is one lucky man the woman are all having sex with!
commanteer
Aside from a lot of people who obviously don't know the right way, the problem is that a relationship involves at least 2 people. Considering the emotions involved, there's no guarantee at all that your co-conspirator will do things the right way.
I think we can all agree on that. Office relationships are inevitable, but they can also cause chaos in the workplace.
Strangerland
It could go either way. The number of men may be higher or lower. So to clarify what I meant, it was that it's very doubtful the number would be exactly the same, but I'm not sure in which direction it actually leans.
I don't sleep with people over whom I have responsibility. That means I would never sleep with anyone in my company.
Which also ignores the fact that I'm also happily married, nearly two decades in.
But this doesn't meant the issue isn't relevant to me - people in my company have had sex, will have sex, and probably are having sex now (well hopefully not this exact moment). This is an issue that is very relevant to me.
theFu
Self selected surveys have ZERO statistical use outside the participants. Nothing can be learned about a wider population when the selection criteria isn't 100% random.
toolonggone
oldman_13June 6 11:11 am JST
If this survey is to be trusted, then it cheapens the "metoo" movement in Japan. I mean, when the women are openly involved with so many of their male co-workers, that opens up a whole can of worms in terms of respect in the work environment and that sort of thing.
You can't have it both ways, women.
Please enlighten us as to how having an adult, consenting relationship is the same as being sexually harassed or raped? Also, where does it say the women are involved with "so many of their male co-workers" and is there an acceptable number with which they can be involved? You may need get over the notion anyone but the individuals involved get to decide with whom they'll engage in sexual relationships and your judgement is irrelevant.
Strangerland
Seems to be a common misconception these days. I wonder how may of those who are making the misconception are unable to determine whether actions they have taken with women were consenting or harassment.
roughneck
Are you suggesting women should only have Heterosexual relations? That's oppressing the LGBT community!
Strangerland
According to this site 15% of couples meet at work: https://www.reportlinker.com/insight/finding-love-online.html
This site says it's 18%: https://mic.com/articles/112062/the-way-most-people-meet-their-significant-others-is-not-what-you-think
This site says 16%: https://www.businessinsider.com.au/surprising-office-romance-statistics-2016-2?r=US&IR=T
Office relationships are a regular thing in the world, both Japan and in other countries.
Yuko Maeda
How does Aikatsu say this survery helps to the women they cater to? Because women want to know that 75 of their fellow female coworkers are screwing other coworkers? Sounds more like a survery done by a men's group to give its followers dating advice at the workplace.
Strangerland
Well, it's unlikely to be 100% of those with homosexual tendencies. Since the homosexuality rate of humans is said to run around 10-15%, if you guess that an average company would have roughly the same breakdown of homosexuality as the general public, and that 100% of those women would not have slept with another woman in their company, the number is probably somewhere around 2-7%.
That's pure and utter speculation though, made with not enough information to be considered anything near accurate. Just a general guess as to what it may be, made with the little information available.
Matt Hartwell
Sure, in the past. In 2018 and beyond, big risk, as a male, even bigger risk and the bigger the company the less likely I would be to do it. I suspect those figures will drop considerably in future. Companies themselves will increasingly insist that romances are off limits for fear of the legal consequences. It will become a condition of accepting a job. Sad, but hey those are the consequences of the times we live in.
toolonggone
inkochi: ANyway, these days down the lineat work there is also the chance for someone to become a #Metoo monster.
Really? That's your concern? Were you as concerned when so many woman were being harassed and assaulted?
I am waiting for the time those people will let sexually abused guys and LBGT people in too.*I'm not sure what you mean by "let sexually abused guys and LBGT people in too.". It's not a club and men have come out and talked about having been sexually harassed. That there aren't more probably speaks to how difficult it is to talk about it, let alone publicly.
http://www.thisisinsider.com/hollywood-men-victims-sexual-misconduct-2018-2#anthony-rapp-2
ardnew
Because they surveyed only the women and that's how elementary arithmetic works:
Consider a company whose staff consists of twice as many men as there are women (think engineering, IT, or various other male-dominated occupations). Let's say it has 300 heterosexual employees -- 100 women, 200 men. That means 75% of the women would be ...75 women! And if 75 women each slept with a different, unique male coworker, then 75 men (out of the available 200 men) also slept with a coworker. But 75/200 = 37.5%, not 75%.
If the number of men equals the number of women -- then sure, your comment would be valid. But you're being presumptuous, so it isn't.
ETHAN1001
Can you press my buttons for me
Wallace Fred
Ae you referring to the affectionately called 'herbivores'?
Damn cassanova. You clearly don't live by the 'dont muddle where you eat' philosophy. Good for you.
Boy Next Door
That may explain why they are working long hours in the office. They are just busy doing their "JOB".
Jonathan Prin
@kyronstavic
Illustrating photo is adapted :
Going up or down with me ?
...
Replied came after stop button pushed : both;)
goldorak
It depends on the industry and size of the company I guess. In my industry (pharma), it was very common especially at national sales conferences or on Fridays after a few bevs. Also probably more likely to happen in big/vibrant cities (tokyo, sydney, london etc) & at reasonably big comps than at smallish/medium sized biz based in Toyama, Goulburn or Bolton (although bolton's pretty wild!).
Agree 100%
Yuko Maeda
So 75% of women working in Japan are easy?
Netgrump
Only a man or boy could ask this. Posing as.....? :)
inkochi
The article premise is SOOO 20th century!
Reporting only on women about men, ignoring men about women, and probably not even considering the LTGB-type connections.
ANyway, these days down the lineat work there is also the chance for someone to become a #Metoo monster. I am waiting for the time those people will let sexually abused guys and LBGT people in too.
kyronstavic
What's the caption on the photo?
"Going down?"
kawabegawa198
It's a good idea for the average Japanese female employee (always poorly paid) to get hitched to a male coworker who makes significantly more in the way of salary.
Luddite
Never have a sexual relationship with a colleague if you are serious about your job and career. It can backfire on you, especially if you are a women.
paradoxbox
Isn't it a statistical fact that most Japanese women meet their husbands either at work or school?
The amount of infidelity also lends credibility to the 75% figure. Something like 40% of unmarried women admit to cheating on their partners, and that's just the women who decided to be up front about it. The amount of "double furin" where both partners in an affair are married is also very high and it is most common among coworkers.
Frustrating cultural problem, and a sign of a sick nation IMO.
Toasted Heretic
To portray women in a negative light. Or the clickbait.
Most people of a certain age will have slept with a co-worker. Be it a brief fling or something longer lasting.
It happens and it's certainly nothing unsual.
thepersoniamnow
The workplace is a great place to get laid sure as the sexual tension is so high between people. It’s probably a sounder theory to wait till people quit before making a move. Who wants to see that person by the copy machine everyday?
Samit Basu
OK, I have to get a job n Japan.
oldman_13
If this survey is to be trusted, then it cheapens the "metoo" movement in Japan. I mean, when the women are openly involved with so many of their male co-workers, that opens up a whole can of worms in terms of respect in the work environment and that sort of thing.
You can't have it both ways, women.