As some of you might be aware, I like romance. In all of my relationships, I try my best to be romantic with dates and romantic in how I express myself. In Japan, however, the culture is different. Expressions of affection and romance aren’t normal. In fact, compliments and positivity in that form is considered strange and potentially rude or inappropriate by some people. This culture clash is one of the challenges that I face when dating in Japan, as I am very affectionate and desire romance. Usually, the people I date have no clue how to be romantic. This leads to me planning all of the dates and outings in order to maximize our enjoyment. Planning the dates has some advantages aside from being able to control the romance levels: I get to schedule things to match my energy levels and feelings as well. But this blog post is focused on being romantic. There are plenty of things to do in order to keep romance alive in a relationship. In a previous blog post, I have recommended illuminations. I still stand by that choice. In addition to illuminations, there are typically lesser-known restaurants that are high quality which you can find if you search around your city.

In Nagoya, there’s a Moroccan restaurant that has belly dancing shows and excellent food, but it’s not super famous. Only one person that I’ve brought to the place had ever heard of it before, and that was because she used to work there. Planning activities with twists to them or that introduce your partner to new and exciting things can be a great way to be romantic. These activities are all well and good, but in the end, it’s still me planning all of the dates. Personally, I feel romance is best done by both parties. So I typically end up talking about what is and isn’t romantic to me with my partners, so that we can know what our definitions of romance are. This way, it’s easier for us to be romantic for each other. If you find yourself struggling to receive romance from or be romantic for your partner, maybe a discussion about it could help make things easier. Let me know what you think is the best romantic activity or trick.