Mayu Miyake

I rarely say “I love you” to my family and friends. Because Japanese people rarely say I love you to family and friends, so I feel weird to say I love you. However, when someone say “I love you” to me, I feel very happy. Because they don’t say often that.

Marina Kawakami

I think we often show affection by some actions like sending e-mail, cooking special dinner, giving a present, grasping a hand and hugging.　Of course, we grasp a hand and hug with only very familiar people.


I don’t use words like “I love you” so often because I’m embarrassed to say it. I think it is related to Japanese culture. I’ve heard that it was not so good to say what I thought easily in old Japan and reading atmosphere were very important.

Kotono Iwata

Japanese don’t say ‘I love you’ so much. I think the reason is Japanese are shy. So, if Japanese feel ‘I love you’ in their heart, they don’t express directly. Instead of saying ‘I love you’, we change the feeling and message to a feeling of gratitude.


However I’m happy to receive the message ‘I love you’, so I think it is good to tell the massage directly.

Ayano Katou

I rarely use “I love you” because I feel a little embarrassed. I think I can feel affection without the word among family, boyfriends, and friends.


For example, when I went to Australia, my mother sent mail and called to me. She worried about me and supported. She didn’t say “I love you”, but I can fully feel her love.

Amina Hiraoka

I don’t really remember that if my parents or my family member ever said to me “I love you.”


However, I think that Japanese people tend to show how much they care about you with doing something instead. For example, planning surprise parties for you, cooking your favorite foods everyday before you leave for a long time or sending you gifts often.

So, don’t be sad or worry even though your Japanese friends don’t say “I love you” to you. You just need special skills to read their minds and what they are trying to say, I guess.;))

Have you ever said to your friends “I love you”? Is that natural to you?

Thank you.

Teo Raza

We were asked to say something about expressing love. Well, in Japan, people don’t express love quite the same way people do it in Europe or America for example. It’s not common around here to say “I love you” very often. If you do, I think it might depend on the context. In case that a girl intends to express her love to me, I prefer her to say it directly, or write it in a letter, just to be sure, or else I might not notice it from the beginning^^. I don’t really know what else to say, since I’m not very experienced in this area yet.

Yuuki Kainuma

Japanese people normally imply their affection, not really verbalize the feeling of love.


I don’t know if it is because they are shy or cultural stuff.
In Japan, if your friend hears you say ‘I love you mom’ on the phone, he might think you are a mama’s boy.