Personal relationships, both professional and personal plays an important role in all cultures and Japan is no exception to that rule. Although most countries regard relationships as important there are many differences between cultures as to how relationships are wived and in relation to that how communication between people are seen upon. Japanese culture, generally speaking, encourages closeness and dependability whereas most western cultures encourage individuality and independence. This can also be seen in the Japanese language which is implicit compared to most western countries where explicit (clear) communication is sought. Cultural understanding and sensitivity is a must if you have a relationship with someone from another culture or often meet people from another culture.

Finding a soul mate

Finding a soul mate is hard no matter where you live but living in a foreign country can make it even harder to find that special someone. One of the more convenient and perhaps also easiest ways of making contacts is through networks on the internet such as GaijinPot Personals.

In Japan, with its history of arranged marriages, there are also a number of sites that focus on marriage matchmaking.

Making friends

If you are new to Japan making friends is probably one of your top priorities. If you are looking to make international friends there are a number of forums that target the foreign community. If you want make friends with people from your home country who also live abroad there are many associations and groups where you can meet new friends. Japanese tie of friendship is usually established when going to school/university together. New friends are often made by involvement in groups such as colleges of the same company, hobby activities or residential groups. If you are interested in making Japanese friends probably one of the most easiest and convenient ways is to become a member of one of the friends network sites such as the GaijinPot Personals.

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