壁ドン Kabedon, the secret art of Japanese romance

The history of Kabedon and the Japanese way of expressing feelings of lust. 

Hey guys, how is it going today? If you are feeling romantic then this is definitely the right lesson for you .  We have an amazing online Japanese lesson for today as we are going to talk about Kabedon, or Kabe-don. Now if you are much of a J-drama or anime lover you will have no doubt heard of this before. It’s not something you should try, or even necessarily advocate outside of Japan, but it is definitely a part of the culture and something you need to be aware of in Japanese customs. First we are going to look at what Kabe-don is, then we will talk about where it came from, where it’s used and also about other forms of Kabe-don. So get yourselves strapped in for this romantic online Japanese lesson. 

What exactly is Kabe-don?

So what is Kabe-don or, how it is also said, Kabedon? Kabedon quite literally means “hitting a wall”. Let’s first look at the elements which make up this word. First we have かべ,壁, Kabe which means “wall” in Japanese. Secondly, we have ドン written in Katakana here which represents a sought of slapping/ bagning noise in Japanese. So putting the two together we quite literally have wall slap or wall bang.  

However if you threw something against the wall and it made a bang, that would not be classed as Kabedon. Kabedon has a specific meaning that mainly has a romantic connotation. The word is used to describe a man who traps a woman between a wall and there own body by slapping their hand against the wall. Now although this sounds a little aggressive and odd this is actually seen as a romantic gesture meant to excite the woman. 

When kabedon is used towards another person for romantic purpose it is in no way expressed through violent intent as it is never physically touching the other party. 

Kabedon can also describe the way of punching a wall in frustration. Now we are going to have a look at where Kabe-don is used in Japan. 

Where is Kabe-don used in Japan? 

Kabedon can be mainly seen in anime and manga which are geared towards the female audience. You can see the male heart throbs slamming walls in classrooms, offices and, more popular, train settings. 

It is definitely used much more in anime than in real life but that’s not to say you might even see the act of kabedon happening around you whilst on a train in Japan.  

The other type of Kabe-don used in manga or anime is centered more towards the male audience. This is when the main protagonist will slam their fist against the wall to show their frustration and express emotion. 

But why do people find Kabedon to be romantic? Doesn’t it seem that its more aggressive and a bit perhaps primitive? Well now we are going to talk a little bit about why people find Kabe-don to be a romantic gesture. 

Why do people find 壁ドン Kabe-don romantic? 

When the main character of the story is ready to express his emotions to the one he loves a kabe-don won’t be far behind. 

It’s often thought that the male will show his dominance and fighting spirit through the act of kabedon. This is a fantastic way to show the one who is being kabedonned that they are strong and can offer security.

It expresses leadership and toughness to the girl which, depending on the type of guy you like, can work really well. 

This is not to say that this will work for every girl. Perhaps a more gentle approach may work. Chocolates, flowers or a netflix subscription?  Just because Kabedon is used to represent “masuline toughness” in anime doesn’t mean that that is how it works in the real world. In anime everything is ramped up for effect so please remember that before you think about changing your dating strategies. 

We are now going to be looking at some other forms of Kabedon to see how things can get reall creative. 

Other forms of Kabedon that can be used in Japan

There are definitely multiple forms of Kabedon that can be used that are not just restricted to the classic one arm pose. We are now going to look at all of these different forms to see what else you can get creative with.

Two arms can also be used to enhance your Kabedon and make it more intense. This way you can ensure that you can express your emotion to the full effect. We would like to remind you that this is always done without any physical contact or malicious intent. 

Kabedon can also be performed with a leg, if you can get it that high. The higher the better we say. However this is more of a parody on the traditional poses as it can be a bit awkward and infinitely more difficult to pull off. 

In conclusion … the ancient art of Kabedon 

So guys now you know all about kabe-don. The idea of today’s subject was more just to understand what Kabe-don is rather than to implement it for yourself. Imagine  how this would come off in countries that do not know of it. You would definitely be misinterpreted. We recommend leaving it to the manga and anime pros. That’s not to say you can’t practice this in front of the mirror at home.

Whatever your style may be, remember everyone is different and just because you see something on tv or in a book doesn’t mean it really works in real life. 

I’m happy to say that we are now finally Kabe-done … see you in the next online Japanese lesson from Bondlingo and we really hope that you are doing well. If you have any more ideas for content or have any more questions about today’s topic, please do get in touch. 

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