公の場での愛情表現について

Do you ever engage in any kind of a PDA?
What kind of PDAs, if any, are acceptable to you?
What kind of PDAs are acceptable in Japan?
How about when you were younger—were any kind of PDAs acceptable in Japan?
How does it make you feel when you see a PDA at a park or in the train?

A PDA, or public display of affection, is a physical expression of love or affection for someone while in public. Some simple examples that you might see in Japan are holding hands, kissing, cuddling, hugging or declarations of love (saying, “I love you”, etc.).

In general, I feel that in America, people are more tolerant of PDAs than in Japan. Although most people aren’t comfortable being around people engaging in a PDA, I feel I see it more often while I am in America.

I, like most people, am not comfortable around someone passionately kissing or groping but I have no problem with a couple holding hands, hugging or even when they are expressing their love in words. With all of the anger and violence in this world, it is sometimes nice to see two people happy and in love.

There are times when my wife and I engage in a PDA—for example, we sometimes hold hands when we are at a park or on a walk along the river but we also feel there is a time, place and occasion (TPO) for everything.

We normally wouldn’t hug or kiss in public, but if we were leaving each other at a train station or airport, for example, we might give each other a short hug or even a peck on the cheek, but never more than that. We understand that a small hug or kiss on the cheek might make others feel a little uncomfortable, but our desire to express our feelings sometimes outweigh our concern for others.

How about you? What are your feelings about PDAs for yourself, your family or Japanese society?

I will look forward to hearing your thoughts when we speak this week.

Be well,


This week’s vocabularies:

engage in
関わる

PDA
公の場での愛情表現

acceptable
受け入れられる

physical expression of love
愛情の身体表現

affection
愛情

public
公

holding hands
手をつなぐ

cuddling
抱擁する

declaration of love
愛の告白

in general
一般的に

tolerant
寛大に

passionately kissing
情熱的なキス

groping
身体をまさぐる

TPO
ティーピーオー（Time, Place, Occasion)

a peck on the cheek
頬に軽くキス

outweigh
．．．に勝る