Japanese girl told me she loved me

[u/Educational_Exam1791]

So I've very recently started seeing this Japanese girl, and when we were getting a bit frisky this one time, she said that she loved me in English. I kind of let it go in the moment, but she could tell that that kind of startled me. Later, I brought the moment up with her and asked if she really meant it and she said that she did, but that "I love you" was commonly used more casually and platonically in Japanese culture. She then said she would say "aishiteru" instead going forward.

I'm wondering if her claims are true, or if she's just attempting to backtrack, because I remember hearing that Japanese people do not often say "I love you" to one another, much less "aishiteru", which had very intense connotations.

[u/cai_85]

Why were you so taken aback by this...? I don't get it. Are you not interested in a serious relationship with her?