{"id":34163,"date":"2014-03-12T16:41:55","date_gmt":"2014-03-12T20:41:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jetwit.com\/wordpress\/?p=34163"},"modified":"2014-03-12T16:41:55","modified_gmt":"2014-03-12T20:41:55","slug":"%e3%80%90rocketnews24%e3%80%91government-form-allows-japanese-romantics-to-officially-declare-their-love","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jetwit.com\/wordpress\/2014\/03\/12\/%e3%80%90rocketnews24%e3%80%91government-form-allows-japanese-romantics-to-officially-declare-their-love\/","title":{"rendered":"\u3010RocketNews24\u3011Government form allows Japanese romantics to officially declare their love"},"content":{"rendered":"

Posted by\u00a0Michelle Lynn Dinh<\/a>\u00a0(Shimane<\/a>-ken,\u00a0Chibu-mura,\u00a0<\/strong>2010\u201313),<\/strong>\u00a0editor and writer for\u00a0RocketNews24<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>The following article was written by\u00a0Casey Baseel<\/a>, a writer and translator for\u00a0RocketNews24<\/a>,\u00a0a Japan-based site dedicated to bringing fun and quirky news from Asia to English speaking audiences.<\/p>\n

\"Government<\/p>\n

Generally, Japanese culture tends to handle emotional expression a little less directly than in English-speaking countries, especially where romance is concerned. In particular, couples in Japan\u00a0aren\u2019t nearly as likely to regularly say \u201cI love you\u201d<\/a>\u00a0as their Western counterparts are or be seen smooching in public.<\/p>\n

In certain situations, though, these roles get flipped. For example, while most Westerners would feel awkward making the explicit statement, \u201cPlease be my boyfriend\/girlfriend,\u201d in Japan that exact phrase,\u00a0tsukiatte kudasai<\/em>, is a pretty common romantic milestone, and something that many actually expect their partner to say in order to explicitly recognize the nature of the relationship.<\/p>\n

Now, couples can even have their affection officially recognized, as\u00a0lovers in Japan can submit government documents certifying their love for each other<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

While the national government still shows no interest in tracking who\u2019s got the hots for who,\u00a0the town of Nagareyama in Chiba Prefecture<\/strong>\u00a0is currently accepting submissions of\u00a0koitodoke<\/em>, or \u201clove declaration forms<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Government<\/p>\n

Japan has been grappling with a falling birthrate for a while now, which poses a bit of a financial problem in a country where municipalities collect residence taxes. Such fees accounted for more than half of the taxes in Nagareyama last year, and in order to protect this crucial revenue stream, legislators are embarking on various initiatives to attract child-bearing couples to the town, including trumpeting the city\u2019s use as a filming location for upcoming romantic movie\u00a0Momose, Kochi wo Muite<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Spokesman Hideo Tsutsui, in talking about the\u00a0koitodoke<\/em>, told reporters that\u00a0the form gives young people a way to assert their romantic feelings<\/strong>, and as such is hoped to be one way of helping to encourage childbirth.<\/p>\n

So just what information does the form ask for? Well, first you\u2019ll need to provide\u00a0your name, plus the name of the object of your affection<\/strong>. There\u2019s also a spot to enter to enter the\u00a0time and place where you met<\/strong>, with the note that this data is only required if you remember, displaying a courteous understanding of some of the most common jumping off points for young passion.<\/p>\n

\u25bc\u00a0Place: A bar in Shinjuku (maybe Shibuya???)<\/em>
\nTime: Sometime between the sixth and eighth round<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Government<\/p>\n

An additional slot allows applicants to write in the\u00a0places they want to go with their sweetheart, as well as the things they\u2019d like to say, or be told<\/strong>, by their significant other.<\/p>\n

So far, this all sounds sweet, if a little bit silly with its tongue-in-cheek atmosphere of formality. There are, however, a few\u00a0puzzling sections of the form<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

For starters, you don\u2019t actually have to be in a relationship to submit a\u00a0koitodoke<\/em>. As a matter of fact,\u00a0the person you\u2019ve got a crush on doesn\u2019t even have to be complicit in filing the paperwork<\/strong>. Creepiness factor aside, we\u2019re not even sure exactly how this would work from a database management perspective. For example, is each individual limited to being named in just one\u00a0koitodoke<\/em>, on a first-come-first-served basis?<\/p>\n

\u25bc Or, could multiple lonely men simultaneously declare their intentions of earning the love of their favorite swimwear model?<\/p>\n

\"Government<\/p>\n

Make no mistake, the form is keenly aware that the other person may not return your sentiments.\u00a0In the section asking whether or not your feelings are reciprocated, there are separate response boxes you can check to indicate \u201cyes,\u201d \u201cI\u2019m not sure,\u201d \u201cI\u2019m pretty sure,\u201d and flat-out \u201cno.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Those who haven\u2019t worked up the nerve to declare their love in-person yet can even enter\u00a0the date on which they intend to tell their crush how they feel, and even how they intend to do so<\/strong>. We\u2019re not sure what happens if you fail to make good on this deadline, though. The\u00a0koitodoke<\/em>\u00a0doesn\u2019t ask for any contact information such as an address or phone number, so do the clerks crosscheck your name against other public records in order to track you down and give you a pep talk? Or do they just snicker at you from the privacy of the city archives?<\/p>\n

But perhaps the biggest head-scratcher of all is the final question on the form, which asks\u00a0whether or not if this is the applicant\u2019s first love<\/strong>. Assuming you\u2019re filing the form with the knowledge of the other party named in the form, this can be a bit of a minefield. Past a certain age, some people can feel embarrassed or self-conscious if others know they\u2019ve\u00a0never been in a relationship before<\/a>. On the other hand, there\u2019s really nothing to gain by putting down in writing that \u201cYeah baby, I used to make out with someone else before I met you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u25bc Couldn\u2019t they ask a slightly less awkward question, like \u201cDo you dress right or left?\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Government<\/p>\n

In Nagareyama\u2019s defense, the city\u2019s heart is in the right place, and for established couples the\u00a0koitodoke<\/em>\u00a0sounds like an innocent bit of fun, despite the first draft wrinkles mentioned above. The forms are being\u00a0accepted between now and the end of May<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Incidentally, the non-legally-binding status of the\u00a0koitodoke<\/em>\u00a0also means there\u2019s no jurisdiction limit on it either, so people living outside of Nagareyama, or even Japan, can\u00a0submit the form electronically right here<\/a>, after which they can print out a copy bearing the city\u2019s stamp of authentication. The online format means you can even fill in the blanks in English, so if you\u2019ve always wanted to tell a city in Chiba that you\u2019ve got a crush on Stacy from economics class, here\u2019s your chance.<\/p>\n

And while we\u2019re on the subject of being forthright with your feelings, we\u2019ve got a little something for all of you.<\/p>\n

\"Government<\/p>\n

Source:\u00a0NHK News Web<\/a><\/em>
\nTop image:\u00a0Rikei Plus<\/a><\/em>
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