[ddubb]

OK I'm just doing this for a bit of clarity, that is, breaking up into two posts. Anyone still willing to help me out, please skip the above post and lets continue a conversation about nicknames in the context of a romantic relationship. Here's the main points to get from the above:

1. I'm 46 years old, american gaijin, just started dating a 37 year old japanese lady.

2. Initially she wasn't too sure how she felt about lovey-dovey nicknames (Honey, Sugar, Sweetie, etc) but she's starting to sorta like the idea the more we get used to each other.

3. I'm trying to understand her cultural background in this respect (i.e., her parents never used cutesy nicknames, were more formal, and only used each others' actual names).

4. The reason I'm posting, I'm hoping to get ideas for japanese terms of endearment, romantic petnames and nicknames, etc.

5. If such a practice is rare or unheard of in the context of native japanese culture, then what's the best I can do to use japanese words in the way that americans use certain words to address a romantic interest?

Regarding the advice given by chiuchimu, I recognize that a couple of those terms relay respect, i.e., [lastname]san. That's the sort of thing I'm actually kind of interested in.

So Saori's friend, one year younger, called her Sempai. I'm 9 years older than Saori, would it be fitting for me to call her Sempai? Or is that just between women or only referring to the older age, etc.

I want her to feel like I'm putting her on a pedastal; that I respect her as an equal/superior.

But I also want the nickname to convey warmth, romance, intimacy, familiarity.

I want to blend the two concepts. Any clever ideas for japanese word mashups?

Bear in mind, she will be tolerant of an idea that's not perfectly correct japanese usage. For example, how a previous japanese girlfriend LOVED IT that I called her "Bijin" as if it were her real first name.

Like if I put the suffix -san after the japanese word for sugar... It may sound horrible and make no sense if said to a japanese person in Japan.

But coming from me, maybe Saori would see past the incorrectness and think its cute, funny and acceptable. Or maybe she'll think its whack.