Japan’s birth rate is so low that the government of its largest city is going to desperate measures to help couples find love.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s latest out-of-the-box idea is to play Cupid by launching a dating app, and it has already earmarked $1.28 million for its debut by the end of the summer, a Japanese newspaper reports. Asahi Shimbun reported. Unlike other dating services, the government-sponsored project takes strict measures to address a major problem for people looking for love online: authenticity.
More than half of dating app users said they had experienced someone misrepresenting their marital status or other parts of their profile, according to a 2021 study by Mitsubishi UFJ Research and Consulting Co. In the USA Pew Research Center found that 63% of men under 50 said they had encountered a scammer on a dating app, and 44% of women across all age groups said the same.
To avoid these pitfalls, the new government-sponsored app will force users to comply with rigorous, even perhaps onerous, requirements before they sign up. To start swiping properly, users will have to verify their income, provide government documentation proving they’re single, and be interviewed by the company running the app. All information will be available to potential partners. The new platform is also not intended for casual dating; users will have to sign a statement that they are looking for a partner to marry.
While it may not scream romance, Tokyo officials say extensive prerequisites are needed to avoid some of the problems users face with fake profiles on other apps.
“We hope this government-linked app will provide a sense of security and encourage those who have been hesitant to use traditional apps to take the first step in finding a partner,” a Tokyo official said. Asahi Shimbun.
There are other dating apps in Japan, including U.S. platforms Tinder and Bumble, but the Tokyo government hopes its strict rules and disclosures can persuade people who were hesitant to choose the apps to give love a try. Although it may seem far-fetched, dating apps are popular in Japan and they often quickly match couples for marriage. A study conducted in 2023 by Japan’s largest life insurance company with just over 1,000 participants. found that a quarter of respondents who got married within a year met their spouse on a dating app.
Japan’s birth rate fell to a record low of 1.20 in 2023, according to data released Wednesday by Japan’s health ministry. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), a fertility rate of 2.1 per woman is required to maintain a generally stable population. In Tokyo, the birth rate was even worse, falling to 0.99 for the first time on Wednesday. The 86,347 children born in Tokyo in 2023 was the lowest number of births since the end of World War II, according to the UN. Asahi Shimbun.
Needless to say, the Tokyo government is willing to do anything to bring back the love.
“If there are many people interested in marriage but unable to find a partner; we want to provide support,” a Tokyo official said. Asahi Shimbun.