TOKYO – The Japanese capital city will roll out its own dating app possibly in this summer, as a part of the government’s campaign to counter the declining national birth rate, according to a Tokyo official on Tuesday.
Users will be needed to produce evidence that they are unmarried and sign a statement saying that they are prepared for wedding.
Introducing income is usual on Japanese dating apps but Tokyo insists on producing a tax certificate slip to show what you make each year.
“The research revealed that among those who want to get married and have children, 70% do not actively participate in events or applications aimed at finding partners,” one of the Tokyo officials responsible for the new service told AFP.
“We hope that we can encourage them gently”, he commented.
It is not unheard of for local authorities to organize matchmaking sessions in Japan, where births fell to yet another all-time low in 2023; however, it is quite rare for a municipality to develop an app.
An interview will need to take place during registration process so as to authenticate one’s identity with regards to the Tokyo debutant app which has been running free trials since late last year.
Many social media users criticised such ideas, with one commenting: “is this something our taxes should be spent on?”
Some others wrote they were concerned because that would mean more security.
Last year saw over twice as many people die as there were newborns.
Births decreased for eight years consecutively – by 5.1%, registering 758631 infants alone last year – preliminary data from the government indicated. In fact mortality stood at 1590503 individuals dead.
The country is increasingly suffering from labor shortages and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida promised measures including financial assistance for families, easier access to daycare centers and increased parental leave.
