Some harsh truths about cheating are served up in this brutally honest street interview video.

In Japan, cheating is often overlooked for a variety of reasons, particularly within a marriage. Divorce still isn’t especially common in Japan, and with women often giving up work and much of their independence to stay at home and raise a family, it sometimes benefits women to turn a blind eye to infidelity. Men who divorce, meanwhile, sometimes wind up never seeing their children again, since joint custody is not an option in Japan, so a wife’s infidelity may be forgiven for that reason. And a surprising number of people in Japan seem to believe that cheating is only bad if there’s an emotional component to it—cheating with a prostitute, for example, is often seen as nothing more than “blowing off steam” and separate from one’s marriage.

So, we were interested to watch this video from YouTube channel Asian Boss which asks Japanese people on the street to give their thoughts on cheating. Let’s check out the video!

First, the interviewees were asked to give their thoughts on how often both men and women, respectively, are unfaithful. The numbers weren’t too dissimilar between men and women.

Next, the interviewees gave their thoughts on motivations for cheating. The general consensus seemed to be that men are more likely to cheat once as a random, drunken act or out of an urge to satisfy physical desires, whereas when a woman cheats, it is more likely that she has already emotionally checked out of her current relationship and is seeking that fulfilment elsewhere.

Next, thoughts on prostitution were discussed. Some male and female interviewees seemed to think that this was a much more forgivable kind of cheating, with some even claiming that they wouldn’t consider it cheating at all, since it is merely a “service” provided for financial compensation.

While some interviewees stated that they would immediately terminate the relationship upon discovering a partner had been unfaithful, others introduced certain caveats, such as deciding to end the relationship only if the cheating was motivated by emotions, or only if they weren’t yet married.

Ultimately, it seems that the interviewees had differing personal feelings on what constitutes cheating, and what type of reaction they would have. What are your thoughts on the opinions expressed in this video?

Source and screenshots via YouTube/Asian Boss