First-Date Etiquette: 5ch Says “Check Your Nails and Nose Hair”

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The story

On 5ch’s “Anything Goes Live” board, a poster with a first date scheduled for the next day started a thread asking what they should watch out for. Replies poured in with concrete advice, ranging from grooming details like nails, nose hair, and arm hair, to how to pick a meeting spot, to the rule of thumb that a first date should wrap up early. Opinions on smoking, though, split right down the middle — some argued it’s attractive, others warned it’s a turn-off nowadays — and someone even suggested just asking an AI, leaving the thread without a clear consensus.

What people said

1AnonymousSep 1, 2026 23:17
I've got a date tomorrow with someone I've never met in person before — could you all give me some pointers on what to watch out for on a date?
37AnonymousSep 1, 2026 23:28
A café's too roundabout, just go to an izakaya.
43AnonymousSep 1, 2026 23:30
Re: #37
Not much point going to an izakaya if I can't drink…
We're just having lunch anyway.
44AnonymousSep 1, 2026 23:30
I've never actually been on a date myself, but
apparently looking clean is what matters most.
Good luck, OP.
53AnonymousSep 1, 2026 23:34
Re: #44
I bought new clothes, and I'll check my nails and nose hair like you said.
I'm also thinking I should shave the hair on my arms and fingers, just in case.
I'll be extra careful drawing my eyebrows in too, more than usual.

I really wanted to get my hair done as well, but I'm in the middle of growing it out right now, so I'll just style it to cover that up.
46AnonymousSep 1, 2026 23:31
If you don't nail down the meeting spot properly, you'll end up panicking when you can't find each other
I've had trouble plenty of times with buildings — one of us at the wrong entrance, or on the wrong floor.
50AnonymousSep 1, 2026 23:32
Re: #46
What is this, the Showa era? You can just text these days, grandpa.
55AnonymousSep 1, 2026 23:34
Re: #46
True. We're planning to meet at the station, just to be safe.
48AnonymousSep 1, 2026 23:31
After you eat lunch, hey, how about going to play some baseball⚾ Crack!
54AnonymousSep 1, 2026 23:34
Re: #48
Apparently it's best to end a first date early, so I'm planning to keep it to just lunch!
51AnonymousSep 1, 2026 23:33
Bring a handkerchief and tissues
And while you're at the nails, watch out for finger hair and any stray stubble you missed shaving.
59AnonymousSep 1, 2026 23:36
Re: #51
I always carry a handkerchief. Good point about tissues too. I'll watch out for my nails and any noticeable stray hair. I've got a good National-brand razor too, so I'll take care of my stubble.
52AnonymousSep 1, 2026 23:33
Make sure you give her a parting gift when you say goodbye
I'm dead serious about this one.
61AnonymousSep 1, 2026 23:36
Re: #52
A parting gift? We're not even coming back from a trip.
56AnonymousSep 1, 2026 23:35
The moment you walk in, bow to the camera first thing
Same goes for whenever you pass a staff member.
62AnonymousSep 1, 2026 23:36
Re: #56
Lol, it's not a TV shoot, where's there even a camera
Wait, do you mean I should bow at my phone's camera?
57AnonymousSep 1, 2026 23:35
Go to the bathroom too many times, or take too long in there, and you'll get dumped
Skip the drinks and eat light.
63AnonymousSep 1, 2026 23:37
Re: #57
Why would I go to the bathroom multiple times — you mean going several times in a short span?
The food should be light anyway since we're just going to a café.
60AnonymousSep 1, 2026 23:36
Alright, I'll go ask Chappy (Japanese internet nickname for ChatGPT) for you — hang tight while I hit the bathroom!
66AnonymousSep 1, 2026 23:38
Re: #60
At this point I'll take AI advice too! Thanks in advance!
69AnonymousSep 1, 2026 23:39
Re: #66
Don't go relying on AI for this
What month do you think it is? It's autumn!
Just go grab an iced coffee at a coffee shop and talk about which mountain to go chestnut-picking on.
71AnonymousSep 1, 2026 23:40
Re: #66
According to Chappy:

Pay smoothly, don't fumble with the bill.
Don't bring up heavy topics — focus on securing a promise for a next date.

Good luck!
68AnonymousSep 1, 2026 23:39
Guys who smoke regular cigarettes are popular, y'know.
70AnonymousSep 1, 2026 23:40
Re: #68
I've actually been thinking I'd like to try smoking at some point.
72AnonymousSep 1, 2026 23:41
Re: #70
Seriously, don't start smoking — you'll get addicted and have a brutal time trying to quit.
77AnonymousSep 1, 2026 23:43
Re: #70
That's the one thing you should not do.
88AnonymousSep 1, 2026 23:50
Thinking smoking is cool nowadays is such a Showa-era mindset
A lot of women especially find it off-putting.
93AnonymousSep 1, 2026 23:55
Re: #88
My family home is old-fashioned in a lot of ways, and I personally like the Showa era and older things, so that might be influencing me.
When I watch old movies, I can't help but idolize it a bit.

Background and Key Points of This Discussion

Advice emphasizing grooming details like “nails,” “nose hair,” and “body hair,” as seen in this thread, is a standard response in 5ch relationship-advice threads, reflecting a mindset that treats a sense of cleanliness as the key measure of a first impression. Opinions on smoking split sharply between “it’s attractive” and “it’s a turn-off nowadays,” a divide that reflects declining smoking rates and shifting attitudes toward secondhand smoke, and is a topic where views tend to differ by generation. While the thread produced concrete advice on how to choose a meeting spot and the rule of thumb to end a first date early, it’s worth noting that some points that commonly come up in real first-date advice — like how to handle the bill or what to talk about — weren’t addressed here.

*This article is compiled as an excerpt and summary of the 5ch (Anything Goes Live) thread “Things to Watch Out for on a First Date.”

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