D Car — November 2003

These days, people accept all kinds of ways of meeting someone—not just chatting someone up in person. Meeting through a site is simply another form, now carried out on a mobile phone. ‘But confessing your feelings the very first time you meet…’ If that seems impure or insincere, then surely love at first sight at work or school could be called just as questionable. And if you are turned down, that is that: you do not have to see her face at work or school the next day, so it can feel easier. Today’s sites let you see what the other person looks like in a photo, and the ease of messaging means women can also make the first move. If you think too hard before trying, you may let a good chance slip away. The saying ‘look before you leap’ matters, but if you hesitate too long, the opportunity may be gone. The site featured here, ‘Kinjo no Onna’ (‘Girl Next Door’), is promoted in magazines read by young women as a place to look for a partner. So if curiosity makes you think you might try looking for someone…