"Aikata" is what manzai comedians call their partners and apparently has been more trendy for young couples to call their boyfriend/girlfriend it, exactly like "partner" in English.
in the west, the implication of using the term "partner" is that your boyfriend or girlfriend is uncomfortable being called what they are, so you use a gender-neutral term.
is it the same as in Japan? or is it more of a tongue and cheek/casual/adventurous use?
It's not only gender-neutral - it's also a general term for both "boyfriend" and "husband." If you want to maintain your anonymity online then not disclosing whether you're married or to whom is probably good opsec.
In Japanese they already have a term for that being "koibito" (person I am in love with), this new one is just trying to match the American term I think.
"Aikata" is what manzai comedians call their partners and apparently has been more trendy for young couples to call their boyfriend/girlfriend it, exactly like "partner" in English.
in the west, the implication of using the term "partner" is that your boyfriend or girlfriend is uncomfortable being called what they are, so you use a gender-neutral term.
is it the same as in Japan? or is it more of a tongue and cheek/casual/adventurous use?
It's not only gender-neutral - it's also a general term for both "boyfriend" and "husband." If you want to maintain your anonymity online then not disclosing whether you're married or to whom is probably good opsec.
In Japanese they already have a term for that being "koibito" (person I am in love with), this new one is just trying to match the American term I think.