I’m Maezawa from the President’s Office, and I’ll answer as well.
In the Kanto and Kansai regions, the railway networks are well developed, so I think most people would say it’s actually more convenient not to have a car. It’s therefore common to meet up by walking, taking a taxi, and so on.
In rural areas, however, cars are the main means of transportation, so there’s a higher chance that a man will drive to the meeting place and the date will turn into a drive date.
Men who choose to drive may simply find walking inconvenient. Also, since a car is an enclosed space, it can be easier to build intimacy. And when going to a hotel, if the woman is having trouble giving an answer, once the car enters the hotel premises, she may end up agreeing by default.
(This may also be because she worries about how she’ll get home from there if she refuses.)
As for the club’s position, we generally ask that people refrain from going on a car date the first time. However, if the woman has agreed in advance, there’s no need to refuse.
If a man wants to drive, he should let her know when making the offer. If she feels uncomfortable, she can reply, “I’m scared of going for a drive, so I’d prefer a date on foot.” We will then ask the man whether he would like to cancel the date or switch to a walking date.
> I’d also appreciate any points I should be careful about.
With car dates, things can sometimes progress by default, so I think it’s important to clearly say when something makes you uncomfortable.
Even if he suggests going to a hotel, or suddenly drives into a hotel parking lot, you may need to say something like, “I haven’t made up my mind yet today. I’d like us to spend a little more time together and get to know each other better first.”
If he drops you off and leaves at that point, please contact the club.
(You may need to take a taxi home that day, though.)
> In Tokyo, are there many women who don’t receive offers, while in regional areas, do most women actually receive offers?
There are many women in Tokyo, but there are also many men. So I don’t think there’s a significant difference in the number of offers either way.
That said, because there are so many women in Tokyo, women who are only slightly above average may get overlooked. In the Kanto area, however, at branches around places such as Chiba, Omiya, and Yokohama, women who are just a little above average may stand out and appear especially attractive.
This is Saito, the column writer♪
A car, huh...
I suppose you want people to see it as a status symbol?
For me, it’s simply a means of transportation, so I can’t really say.
Various car dealerships have given me cars to drive, but women often seem uncomfortable getting in and out of them, so I find it a bit questionable. And if you get stuck in traffic in a convertible with a woman beside you, it doesn’t exactly look glamorous... lol
When I have no choice but to use a car, I let the club know in advance:
“I’d like to handle things this way, so I understand it may make her feel uneasy at first, but I’d appreciate it if you could allow us to travel as far as this point.”
That way, I try to ease the woman’s concerns beforehand.
As for the difference between rural areas and big cities, there are overwhelmingly fewer male members in rural areas, too, so I feel that offers tend to be more concentrated there.
I’m Date◎Yume, a male member.
> Since I live outside a major city, it sounds like there may be times when I’d be expected to travel in the man’s car. What would a man’s intentions be if he suggested a drive date from the very first meeting? I may be worrying too much, but I’d appreciate any advice on things to watch out for.
First of all, I’m also a regional member, but I never go on a drive date from the first meeting.
As for a man’s intentions in suggesting a drive date right away, they might be:
1. He wants to show off his car.
2. There’s somewhere he wants to take you.
3. He doesn’t want other people seeing him on the date.
4. If the mood is right, he hopes to move straight into a more serious relationship.
As for precautions, if you feel uneasy, I think it’s perfectly fine to say, “I’d prefer not to go on a drive date for our first meeting.”
> In Tokyo, there are many women who don’t receive offers. Is it actually true that most women outside Tokyo receive offers?
I don’t think there’s much difference between Tokyo and other areas when it comes to receiving offers.
As a general rule at the club, attractive women receive a flood of offers, while other women receive a reasonable number.
There are also members who never receive a single offer from registration to withdrawal.
That does make sense to me.
That said, the more members there are, the more diverse people’s preferences become. So regardless of the odds or percentages, I feel there may be more opportunities.
