Survey on Single Men and Women's Perceptions Regarding Meal Payment on a First Date

O-net Inc. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Naoto Kohama), which operates a marriage counseling service, conducted a survey targeting 373 single men and women aged 25-34 nationwide (194 men, 179 women) on "Perceptions Regarding Meal Payment on a First Date." The issue of "who pays on a first date" is not merely a matter of manners but has attracted attention as a theme that reflects values and the nature of relationships. Against the backdrop of recent price increases and the growing trend of dual-income households, beyond traditional ideas like "men should pay" or "splitting the bill is natural," a diversification of attitudes toward payment is evident. This survey analyzed the attitudes and realities regarding meal payment on a first date among single men and women in their 20s and 30s. The results showed a tendency for payment attitudes to largely fall into three categories, and approximately 30% answered that they "have experienced discomfort" during payment. Underlying this are differences in the unconscious "expectations" held by men and women, revealing a perception gap in relationships that are nearly first encounters. This press release uncovers the "reality of payment perceptions," introducing changes in values in modern romance and hints to prevent misunderstandings. (1) Attitudes towards meal payment on a first date have a three-part structure: "Split the bill," "Men pay," and "Depends on the situation." (2) The most common reason for believing "men should pay" was "It appeals to their economic power," followed by "It's common practice." (3) One in four men and one in three women reported having "experienced discomfort" during payment. (4) The content of uncomfortable experiences tended to be diverse for women, while limited for men, revealing a "perception gap regarding payment" between genders. ■ What are your thoughts on payment when you go to a restaurant or cafe on a first date? If you are not currently in a relationship, please answer based on past experiences or assuming a future situation. Please select the one option that best applies from the following choices. In the first question, we asked 373 single men and women targeted by the survey, "What are your thoughts on payment when you go to a restaurant or cafe on a first date?" The most frequent answer was "Consider the situation," accounting for 27.1% overall, 26.3% for men, and 27.9% for women. The second most frequent answer was "Men should fundamentally pay," with 26.0% overall, 28.4% for men, and 23.5% for women. The third was "Splitting the bill is fundamental," with 23.9% overall, 23.2% for men, and 24.6% for women. Following these, the fourth most frequent was "The one who earns more should pay" at 9.1% overall, "Discuss it each time and adapt" at 7.8% overall, and "Women should fundamentally pay" at 5.6%. The attitudes of single men and women aged 25-34 regarding meal payment on a first date showed that approximately one-quarter (27.1%) answered "Consider the situation," another quarter answered "Men should fundamentally pay," and another quarter answered "Splitting the bill is fundamental." These three options combined accounted for three-quarters of the total responses. The results of this question show that perceptions regarding meal payment on a first date are largely divided into three categories: "should split the bill," "men should pay," and "depends on the situation." ■ What is your reason for believing "men should fundamentally pay"? Please select the one option that best applies from the following choices. In this question, we asked 97 men and women, approximately one-quarter of the total who answered "Men should fundamentally pay," for their reasons. The most frequent answer was "Because men seem to have more economic power," with 35.1% overall, 29.1% for men, and 42.9% for women, with women's response rate more than 10 percentage points higher than men's. The second was "Because I think it's normal for men to pay," with 26.8% overall, 23.6% for men, and 31.0% for women, with women having a slightly higher response rate. Following these, "Because both can relax without unnecessary concern" was 12.4% overall, and "Because paying seems to bring the two closer" and "No particular reason, but that's what I do" were both 10.3% overall. From this question, it is clear that the most common reason for believing men should pay is "economic power," followed by the perception that "it's normal for men to pay" which is still deeply rooted among both men and women. ■ So far, your partner or...