All,
I have been living in Japan for over a year now :)
Since I have lived here I have learned a LOT about culture, including my own (through contrasts). I have fallen in love with a beautiful sweet girl. We have been dating for about 10 months now and things are going great. It is by far the most pleasant relationship I have ever been in. We listen to each other and take care of each other.
My concern is with her family. I am American and talk to my parents every week on video chat. My girlfriend has met them this way a few times. She is extremely shy, and I can tell it is a very stressful thing to do for her and I don't pressure her to talk to them. My parents also like her very much. I have never met anyone from her family. I have heard that meeting the parents of a Japanese girl is basically something that is done before marriage. My Japanese is still very much developing, and I am in no way fluent. If I were to meet her parents would a marriage be expected soon after? If things go the way they have been going I'll be proposing to her before my assignment is completed at the end of next year.
I'm wondering through anyone else's experience what is the common way this is done in Japan. She talks about her mom all the time, and I would like to meet her, but don't know if this is really a socially acceptable thing to do.
Thanks,
WiX