This topic is a quite interesting for me since I started to live in Europe. In Japan, normally guys pay for the first date. If we have dinner or drinks, the guys normally pay for everything. Even women know guys pay, they still pretend to pay showing our wallet saying "how much should I pay?" This is invisible rule in Japan to do so. In the Netherlands, this custom is different. It is normal to split the bill even it is the first date and even for one glass of wine or beer as the phrase "go Dutch" is popular . Of course some Dutch guys pay for all. One of my Dutch guy friends told me that he paid if the date was great. I realize foreigners living in the Netherlands tend to adjust this custom. When I went on a date here, the guy paid for foods or drinks for me. I just should have said thank you to him. But as my usual habit in Japan, I asked him "How much should I pay?" In this situation, a Japanese guy says, "Oh this is on me." But that guy told me " Can you pay me EUR XXX?" with checking the receipt. This was the exact amount I ordered. I don't mean I didn't want to pay. Just I feel this is not romantic especially for a date and used to the date culture in Japan. But now I am getting used to the date culture in Netherlands.
