The International Dating Scene

The anticipation, the surprises, the awkward moments—it’s no secret that the world of dating can be unexpected, wild, and simply weird. But have you ever wondered what it’s like on the other side of the globe? From the strict rules of the Middle East to Europe’s laid back approach, find out the joys and woes of international dating.




Japan
The Japanese don’t typically delve into the dating realm until college. However, when they do date, it is much more serious than in Western cultures. In the U.S. we are used to a more open-ended approach of whatever happens, happens, but “the underlying assumption between two Japanese is that marriage is the eventual objective” [Source: http://www.nanzan-u.ac.jp/]. Even more traditionally, the custom called omiai still exists today where parents hire a matchmaker to present a picture and resume of potential mates to check for compatibility before setting the couple up.

Iran
It’s against the law to date in Iran. Parents do everything in their power to separate teenagers until they are of marrying age, then arrange the introductions themselves. Because it is so strict, in order to get away with seeing that significant other without persecution from the police, couples will borrow relatives’ babies and go out, pretending they are married with a child. They will also get a friend to accompany them on their date to act like a “shield,” obscuring the view of the police while they exchange affection.