I’m a male member.

I’m Saito, a column writer ♪ Women who do things like fasting often eat plenty of meat. Also, counter seating is more comfortable since you’re not sitting directly across from the other person, and it saves time, so the conversation doesn’t drag. I’d probably avoid yakiniku where you sit across from each other and silently grill meat, too.

I’m Rin, a female member. Personally, I’d avoid it. Even if you brush your teeth, the smell comes back up from your stomach, and it really clings to your hair and clothes. More and more young women seem to enjoy yakiniku. It satisfies their desire to avoid carbs and vegetables while enjoying expensive cuts of meat. They may not be thinking about the relationship, the man, or whether the smell will linger on them—they may simply want to eat delicious, high-quality meat. There’s also the possibility that they refuse kissing. Some women may also dislike course meals because they have to eat things they don’t particularly want. The best thing to do is simply ask her first. When asked during the interview, “What kind of food do you like?” women often list Japanese, Italian, French, Chinese, and so on. Without a certain level of age and life experience, it can be difficult to choose options like Japanese or French cuisine.

Maezawa from the Corporate Planning Office here as well. > Is there some kind of meat craze going on? I wouldn’t say it’s particularly a craze. I think sushi’s status has declined a little, which has relatively boosted the status of meat. I also think people may feel less anxious about table manners when eating meat. Meat has always been popular, but there may have been a culture where women were considered uncouth for openly saying they liked it. These days, I feel there’s less of that kind of “because she’s a woman” thinking. Basically, there seems to be an age-related trend: Younger people tend to like meat, while as people get older, they tend to prefer things other than meat, such as fish. > Is it okay to kiss during a hotel date after having yakiniku? In the past, couples eating yakiniku together was seen as proof that they were in an intimate relationship, so I had the impression that they needed to be quite close already. But I don’t think that’s the case anymore. Hotels usually provide toothbrushes, so if your partner seems concerned, you could brush your teeth together. Something like, “We just had meat, after all. (lol)” Also, since you’ll both smell the same, I don’t think either of you will be particularly bothered by it. > Yakiniku is fine with someone you know well, but you wouldn’t go for it on a first date, right? A few hours from now, they’ll be someone you know well enough. (lol) It’s fine. That said, if your date seems concerned, you should pick up on it and be considerate enough to switch to another restaurant if necessary. But in most cases, it should be fine. However, I’m only talking about high-end places. I think having expensive meat that you don’t normally get to eat may outweigh concerns about the smell. At a budget chain like An○tei, you can go anytime, so I think the smell would be more noticeable.

I’m a male member, “Paper Airplane.” I don’t think yakiniku or teppanyaki would usually cause much trouble, but once, a woman ate her fill of a hefty steak and ended up feeling unwell. All she could do was sleep… So after all, it’s probably better to choose a sushi restaurant, Japanese cuisine, or a Western-style restaurant. Ideally, I think it’s best to ask her on the day what kind of food she’d like and take her to an amazingly delicious little place tucked away down a side street.

I’m Basil, a male member. When I was younger, women would look disappointed if I suggested yakiniku for a date. But through papa-katsu (compensated dating in Japan), I’ve learned that girls today love yakiniku—even for a first date, they have no hesitation and are often genuinely pleased. I usually take them to fairly upscale yakiniku restaurants, and compared with going to the classic French or Italian places, I feel like the chances of things progressing after dinner are higher. Since yakiniku dates are pretty normal for them and we’re eating the same food, I guess they don’t feel particularly uncomfortable about it.