Are separate shampoos key to a successful relationship in Japan? Some women think so
Equality for all! Except when it comes to the bathroom and its contents.
There’s the old joke that “What’s mine is hers, and what’s hers is hers”, but it seems there may be some truth to it when it comes to shampoo. Japanese Twitter user @shiraiyo_ tweeted a story about her boyfriend for whom she had bought his very own “men’s” shampoo to use when he stayed over. While he was reportedly very happy and grateful that she had gone out to buy him some specially, he said that any shampoo was OK.
But for @shiraiyo_, her boyfriend using any shampoo is not OK. She finishes her tweet by saying:
“The truth that I just didn’t want him using my expensive shampoo is something I’ll take to the grave.”
From the number of likes (at time of writing over 46,000) and the number of responses agreeing with the tweet, both on Twitter and on other social media sites, it seems that this is no one-off complaint limited to one woman. There seem to be plenty of Japanese women out there with shampoo-related gripes about their menfolk. One respondent added:
“I totally agree! I’ve also bought shower gel for my boyfriend! I hate it when he uses my shampoo that costs hundreds of yen a time. Ten-yen-a-time shampoo is good enough [for him], isn’t it?”
Another Twitter user said that the problem wasn’t limited to just shampoo, but that all toiletries were sacrosanct:.
“I’ve had the same thing happen to me! My boyfriend says that any toothpaste is fine, so don’t use my 3,000 yen (US$27) toothpaste! Wait! I’ll get you your own!”
Of course, it wasn’t just boyfriends and husbands who were identified as problems. Even sons were having the gall to use the women of the houses’ hair products. Not every reply suggested that money was the main issue though. Plenty took to the Internet to support separate shampoos or shower gels so that they and their partner don’t smell the same
Not every one was supportive of the rationale behind the original tweet, however, with many questioning why it wouldn’t have been easier, better and possibly cheaper to discuss it with her boyfriend rather than airing her dirty laundry in public. Dividing everything might also set a dangerous precedent. It starts with shampoo and ends up with a a demilitarised zone down the middle of the living room.
Nobody should have a monopoly on smelling floral, but it seems that if some Japanese menfolk want to smell equally lovely, with shiny locks wafting smells of coconut and elderberry hither and thither, they’ll have to buy their own shampoo. And, in retaliation, maybe they won’t be sharing any of their meal when their partner orders a small portion and then starts picking at their food. Fair’s fair, rught?
Source: Jin
Featured image: Gahag
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