In countries like America and England men and women can meet at parties. If they like each other, then the marry. Boys and girls become friends very easily and sometimes these friends marry each other. Men and women dress nicely so that people will like to meet them. They do not need other people to find friends for them. In Japan it is different. Many person help people to find friends so that the will marry. Parties are not necessary for meeting people. Usually a friend of the family will know some people. He tells their name to the family. If they want to, the two young people can meet. They meet each other for a short time. If they like each other, They will marry. If they do not want to marry, the friends of the family will find another person. This friend is often called “a go-between” because he goes between the two people.
He helps them to meet each other. This is often easier than the American of English way. Young people do not have to try hard to meet people. Their life is easier. Almost everyone in Japan marries. There are not usually any unmarried women. Now many Japanese boys and girls meet without ”a go-between”. They meet at school, at their work or at university. But if they nees “a go-between”, they go-between is very useful. The man meets the girls himself but the go-between can talk to the girls about marrying.
After she is married a Japanese woman can stay at home and look after the house. But, since the Second World War, girls can go to school. Because of this women can do many jobs. Some Japanese wives do not want to stay at home. The sometimes have servants to take care of the house. The wives have jobs. They can work in offices, make radios, work in shops, teach in schools, and do many other jobs. Women workers are very important in Japan. Although women are more free now, the home is still very important in their lives.
Japanese men do not usually invite guests to their home. They want to give the best to their guests. It is easier to do this in a restaurant than at home. Wives almost always never go to the restaurant for a party. At the restaurant there are women. These women are often very clever. They can sing well, dance and play music. They talk with the guests. They tell jokes and laugh at the jokes of the guests. Their clothes are beautiful and they are beautiful them selves. These women are called “geishas”. A geishas helps the guests to enjoy the party. In western countries a woman is a mother and a wife and also she is a geisha. When her husband brings guests to the house, she talks to them, gives them food and tells them jokes. But, in Japan, the job of a wife and the job of a geisha are different. In Japan today some of these things are changing. But many people still follow the old ways. They like them.
