Yobai

Yobai was a fun custom in Japan where young people would visit each other at night. It was like a special nighttime date! This happened a long, long time ago, especially in the countryside. It was a way for boys and girls who weren't married yet to get to know each other better before they decided to get married. Think of it like a secret sleepover, but with a special purpose!

Yobai was most common a long time ago, before your grandparents were even born! It was practiced all over Japan, but it started to fade away in some places around the time when Japan had a big change called the Meiji era. Even after that, in some quiet villages, people still did Yobai into the time when your great-grandparents were kids. It was a tradition that lasted for many years!

Yobai was important because it was a way for young people to choose their own partners. Instead of parents picking who they should marry, young men and women could meet and decide for themselves. It helped them learn about each other's personalities and see if they would make a good couple.

It was a very personal way to start a family, and it was a big part of life for many young people in old Japan.

During Yobai, a young man would sneak out at night and go to the house of a girl he liked. He would often crawl into her room, which is why it's called 'night crawling.' The girl would then decide if she wanted to let him stay or not. If she did, they would spend the night talking and getting to know each other. It was a very quiet and discreet way for them to meet and build a relationship.