In Japan, in my experience. Back in the sixties I kicked around the country’s larger cities, abd noticed that a lot of the males, especially the younger ones, would hold hands when out and about. I was sure there was nothing in it, but I wondered what it was about. I asked one group in a park in Nagasaki, but all I got in return was a storm of giggles. 
Back then a lot of students loved practicing their english on us sailors, so I tried to take advantage of these guys. One guy replied “so why do you Americans love Elvis?” So did they. They also loved Johnny Cash! 
Anyway, do guys in Japan still hold hands?
Peace,
mangeorge
Close friends and relatives (such as brothers) do. Same goes for Viet Nam and India. Probably other countries as well but I can’t say for sure.
I have even seen some of my Indian coworkers rest their hands on the shoulders of their fellow countrymen in the office or outside socializing while on break. From my outsider’s perspective they appear to be doing it reflexively, without even giving it a second thought.
It’s like they don’t even care what I think!
Isn’t that great?
Dunno about Japan, but you see it in Vietnam. Recent Vietnamese immigrant men usually find it their first culture shock in Australia when they get hassled for it by dickheads. So you don’t see it in Asian communities here.
I saw it quite a bit in Morocco, and also in the Persian Gulf among southeast Asian workers.
P.J. O’Rourke noted the surreal nature of seeing two Shi’ite militiamen walking down the street in Beirut, toting AK-47s and casually holding hands.
I saw this a lot as a student in Korea. After high school graduation, not so much.
Saw it all the time in Korea among the KATUSA’s on base and businessmen in Seoul.
If you don’t mind stretching this thread further west, I was going through some raw tapes at work (TV news) and noticed several men in Saudi Arabian marketplaces holding hands. Surprised me.
I saw in tons in Singapore when I first began to visit. I had a Chinese roommate at university, and once we were back in Singapore we did hold hands. It was nice. And nice to see in the boys and men. I enjoyed it very much, very friendly. A lovely custom, sure hope it doesn’t disappear.
Nowadays only women hold hands in Japan, and usually only until they get out of senior high. Two grown men holding hands would be a very unusual sight.
They’re just exchanging long protein strings! If you know of a better way, I’m sure they’d love to hear it.
They hold hands in Thailand, and so do ladies. But it’s still looked down on for people of the oppositie sex to do so, although that’s more true upcountry than in Bangkok.
That’s pretty common in many places over here. The Lonely Planet guide to Vietnam mentions the practice and says (or at least used to) that “it does not mean the same thing it would in San Francisco.” 
As jovan says, no. I first came to Japan in '81, and didn’t see men holding hands.
I heard about before I came here (in '95), but I’ve never seen it. IIRC, it was mentioned in the book Making Out in Japanese, a pretty good all-round source of misinformation.
This is common in India. You’ll see adult men holding hands or arm in arm walking down the street. Sometimes in twos, sometimes in groups. There is no sexual connotation in this act.
I’ve seen two dudes from the same group share a seat in a bar (I think one sat on the other’s lap) when it got crowded, but I don’t think I’ve seen hand holding. The young guys do pluck their eyebrows and wear barrettes, however.
<mini-hijack> Don’t men in Europe sometimes go arm in arm, or did I hallucinate that?
</mini-hijack>
I’m sure it will disappear. My theory (which of course is not backed by any evidence) is that men can only get away with this in countries where homosexuality is an absolute taboo.* Thus, two men walking hand in hand won’t draw suspicions, because *of course * nobody would openly express homosexual affection.
- Or, I suppose, in countries where there were absolutely no taboo whatsoever against homosexuality. But no such country exists.
Or a country where they don’t even think about sex. Like, I dunno, Italy?
