Japanese love (and sex) in a time of corona: No kissing, warns expert

Oh, to be single again. But one expert has recently warned of the perils of dating and even kissing in the age of the coronavirus.

While a lot of the attention has focused somewhat disproportionately on hostess and hostess clubs, the coronavirus pandemic has also massively impacted nightclubs, bars, and live music venues. With the nightlife industry on the verge of collapse, this is not just a loss in terms of cool places to go and hang out — it also affects how people date and woo a partner.

If you can’t go to a karaoke booth with your date, where can you get some smooching done in private? If you can’t drink and dance to break down those initial inhibitions, how will you ever get beyond chatting?

Shinya Iwamuro, a urologist and public health advocate, spoke at a press conference this month where he said that even sharing food and plates — a fundamental aspect of any date, especially in Asia — is not recommended while the virus continues to rage. Heck, he proposed that couples speak at right angles to avoid droplet contamination! How’s that for romance?

“As much as possible, kiss only with your partner, and avoid deep kissing,” Dr Iwamuro told the news conference. He described these guidelines as “kiss etiquette.”

So no French kissing, folks, because those tongues might mean you get infected. Oh, and make sure you drink something before you kiss to decrease the other fluids that might be lurking in your mouth.

If you have a partner, you should stick to him or her, and searching and courting a new partner inevitably entails risks not only in terms of close contact with that person, but also in the kinds of places where couples frequent when dating.

Hmm… With risks like this mooted by the experts, who can blame young people if they prefer not to date and kiss, let alone have sex?

We won’t know this for a long time, but could the coronavirus pandemic lead to a fresh surge in virtual dating apps and services? And of course, the requisite mainstream media articles about sexless Japan…