Japan embraces the solo lifestyle

Solo. Solitary. Alone. The Japanese word for this condition is botchi, short for hitoribotchi, meaning "all on one's own." A decade ago, few people in Japan would admit to being botchi, especially during the holidays -- the unspoken connotations were too awful: Alone on Christmas? What are you, a weirdo?

OK, that is a slight exaggeration, but the societal pressure to find a partner and settle down was very real -- especially for women in their 20s and early 30s. I had female friends who would literally turn off the lights and avoid all contact during Christmas, just to escape the barrage of questions like, "So, what are your plans on the 24th?"