Matchmaking Parties!｜International Matching Party

Hello there, this is Chris as always. I was off on business last week, but I am sure you all managed without me. Today we will go over some tips on something that is pretty relevant to the site you are on, and that is matchmaking parties. Most people back home sneer at the idea of going to a matchmaking parties, but in Japan where most people spend their free time swamped in desk work or are not about the "bar scene", they are a useful and accepted way of meeting someone. Having been to a few myself, I can say that it takes a little while to get comfortable, but once you are in they are a lot of fun. They can take a lot of forms – one party may be a highly structured "speed dating" format, or they can be a more loose "party" where you can mingle with whoever you like. There are also "gokon" events where a roughly even amount of men and women head to an izakaya (Japanese-style bar) or restaurant and chat in an informal setting. International Matching Party hosts a variety of parties, so check around the site and sign up for one.

So now that you've signed up, here are a few do's for any matchmaking party you attend.

1. Be nice!
   
   Being polite is important (and in my opinion, pretty obvious) behavior if you want to impress a girl, especially in Japan. This means being polite not only to a woman that catches your eye, but to people around her – men and women included. The woman you're talking to doesn't have tunnel-vision. She will judge you on how you behave with everyone.
2. Relax!
   
   Just be yourself. If you put pressure on yourself to find your future bride, or even get a phone number you will not only project desperation (which no woman finds attractive), you won't enjoy yourself. Just have a good time and don't be too uptight.
3. Appeal to the senses
   
   As I was writing this article I first wrote this point as "Look nice!" That alone is very important. Actually, the first party I went to I took it too far and looked like I was headed to a wedding, which was pretty embarrassing (which threw me off my game so badly that I didn't get any numbers). You should dress nicely, wear a nice shirt with a collar and look like you live in a place with a roof. That said, there is no sense of style that can save a guy who smells like a foot.

So look nice (dress up) smell nice (wear some deodorant!), sound nice (be polite), feel nice (shave and use a little hand lotion) and taste nice (brush your teeth!)

It's simple advice, but you will improve your chances several times over.

Again, I guarantee nothing, but these are some basic pieces of advice I have picked up over the years and I hope you can put them to good use.

Next week we will talk about what NOT to do during a party.

Until next time!