Which company in Japan has the most and least “eligible bachelor” employees? New study suggests Japanese ladies have strict preferences!



Gokon parties, or single mixers, are a common feature of dating in Japan. Generally a pair of male and female acquaintances will be the hosts, each inviting a number of single friends of the opposite sex for a sit-down, get-to-know-you dinner, during which plenty of seat-switching, awkward self-introductions and even some contact-detail swapping will usually occur. While the majority of gokon end in apathy, some people actually do meet their spouses during this practice. But what kind of fellas would Japanese ladies most like to encounter at a gokon?

That’s the question posed in a survey by Japanese recruitment services company Globalway. The survey polled 371 women to find out which were the most and least desirable companies for a potential husband to work at. (Quick reminder here that Japan is still a patriarchal country where the majority of women quit work after marriage, so a hubby with a good job is a must for most Japanese ladies.)

▼ Being a woman in Japan has its own set of challenges, but having a high-flying career isn’t as likely to impress a potential spouse as it is in the reverse.

Flickr/Ogiyoshisan

The top five WORST companies to a potential hubby to work for were:

1. Dentsu Inc.

2. Watami

3. Hikari

4. Cyberagent

5. Fuji TV

So, what did the ladies have against these companies? According to the surveyees, Dentsu (an advertising and PR) company men have an image of being workaholics without sufficient time to devote to family, as well as potentially being playboys due to the perceived popularity of their company name. Watami, which runs a nationwide chain of izakaya pubs, was perceived to have employees who’d have to work late hours, which would leave little time for family. Finally, Hikari (an internet provider company) workers were perceived to lack basic cooking and housework skills. Sounds like some ladies in Japan would like hubbies who work hard and bring home all the dough while also having time to do the housework, cook dinner and play with the kids. So, where might these magical unicorns work?

The top five BEST companies to work for included:

1. All Nippon Airways

2. Google Japan

3. Dentsu (huh? again?)

4. Toyota

5. Cyberagent (yep, again!)

ANA company men were considered to be “reliable and interesting, jetting off to various countries all the time”, and Google fellows were considered “intelligent, with more time for family since Google is an overseas company, where they place more importance on work-life balance”. In third place, the polarizing Dentsu men were said to be “dynamic, with interesting careers and plenty to talk about”.

▼ After a long, long day at work, these salarymen are off home to cook, clean, and entertain the wife with tales of their fascinating worklife!

Flickr/Evan Blaser

So, there you have it! Lucky guys who work for either Dentsu or Cyberagent have a guaranteed 50/50 chance of success…

Reference: PR Times

Feature image: Flickr/Tom Hilton



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