Some snippets:

“Japan has never really stressed the concept of being macho in a Western sense, but what we find now is that men are actively seeking the soft and smooth look that is considered so attractive now,” said Marco Shimomura, vice president of Dandy House. “They aren’t scared of getting their hairs plucked. And believe me, it hurts.”

Yet Japanese men are softening at least in part, analysts say, because that’s what Japanese women want. With record numbers of women here financially independent for the first time, the dating game has become a buyer’s market for single women — who, polls show, prefer men who are gentle and squeaky clean.

I think they have it all backwards; first of all, who is determining that this new style is attractive? It’s not news that there are more single, financially independent, confident Japanese women, but it’s a stretch to think they’re looking for pansies as partners. If Japanese men still have to be told what makes a woman swoon, they’ll only win over woman comfortable with insecure personalities. Most Japanese women (most women, for that matter) want attention and affection, which is being mistaken in Japan as this increasing sense of gentility, cleanliness, and sensitivity. I would suggest the Japanese man stop pampering himself and start pampering her.

数月前にある仲間とメールのやり取りをしてら、「結婚」の話題にのり、こんな記事のスキャンが添付されてきました。日にちとソース（日本語で “origin” はなんと言うん� っけ？）は不明ですが、ライブドアまで乗っているので２、３年以内の情� �でしょう。（知ってる人、是非コメントに書いてく� さ〜い！）

ソニーが一位とはちょっとビックリ。友達が一位と二位の会社で働いた経験があるのに、ま� 独身（笑）。平均年収もこんな数字� と、、、３年目社員なので、ま� ま� � �張らなきゃ。まぁ、記事が出てから多分下がったと思うが、最近新たに CEOになった Sir Howard Stringer のおかげで女性アピールが戻るでしょう！（笑）

Except three Japanese men who appeared to be in their late 20s, early 30s. They were wearing t-shirts. Two black, one white. One even wore jeans. Each was on a date.

I know it sounds elitest of me to be a little annoyed, but at a restaurant the calibre of Spago’s, I would hope customers would have the respect of dressing appropriately for the environment. At least the women in each party understood where they were.

So I asked one of my colleagues at lunch today for a possible explanation, which was that most Western cultures have had the custom of “dressing up” far longer than in Japanese culture. This intrigued me, as there are varying levels of kimono quality, both for men and women. But then he made the point that not many Japanese families in fact go out for dinner. Without such experiences, how are the offspring to know when and where to wear what?

I guess I don’t fully buy the argument – there are many people who never grew up eating out at fancy restaurants with their parents, yet they have a sense of class and know when to dress up. Is there some egalitarian sensibility these Japanese men are misplacing?

And lest you think these men shouldn’t have to dress up just because it was Spago’s, remember – they were on dates!.

If anything, it’s the crown prince that should be under pressure, if I remember my biology correctly. Once again, the Japanese media show off their incompetency…

Would it be weird for you to date someone with the same name as your mom? i mean, if you were a girl, wouldn’t it be weird to date a guy with the same name as your dad?

Yeah, it’d be weird….

In no particular order. Some places are pricey, so proceed with caution. Your and my definition of “romantic” may vary, but suffice to say I like quiet spots, sufficient lighting, and impeccable service. A good wine list and zesty food are obvious musts. Please recommend more in the comments!

What we discovered is that the parts of the brain that lit up and became active when someone falls in love are part of the reward system in the brain. And one of them is the ventral tegmental area, a tiny part in the midbrain, quite far down, that makes dopamine and sprinkles it around the brain. When the prefrontal cortex — the part behind your forehead, the thinking part — realizes that you are not getting your reward, those dopamine cells work harder and pump out more dopamine and you feel more motivation, more ecstasy, and that’s why — think of Romeo and Juliet — when there are barriers to the relationship, you try harder and you love harder.

Men definitely fall in love faster than women — there’s good psychological data on that. And I think that’s because they are more visual.

Women remember. It drives both sexes crazy. If women could forget a few things, it might be better for them. Men complain about their marriages much less than women do; they remarry faster than women do. Throughout their lives women have many more complaints during the marriage. But if men could remember a few things, it would probably be better for them too!

I think we have a real misunderstanding in this culture of the intensity of male romantic love and female sexuality. Three out of four people who kill themselves after a love relationship has ended are men, not women. Men are much more likely because they have fewer friends — so they put more into relationships than women. They’re not as expressive as women.

(not so sure I agree with that last comment…)

The only one way I really know of to kick in that dopamine system and to help spark love, particularly in a long-term relationship, is to do novel things together. Novelty is associated with elevated activity of dopamine and norepinephrine — those are the same stimulants associated with cocaine and amphetamines. Novelty can step up that system. Some people can just go to a different restaurant. You don’t have to go skydiving. Other people, maybe they should.

Read the full article though; it’s pretty interesting.