Japan's Lonely Singles Seek Romance From the Government --- Falling birthrates have yielded the office of matchmaking; 'They need help'

"OMIYA, Japan -- Yurika Adachi, a 39-year-old nurse, grew tired of swiping fruitlessly on dating apps and petitioned local government officials last year for help finding a husband.

First, the bureaucrats had a few questions.

Adachi filled out an online form and booked an in-person appointment at the Saitama Rendezvous Support Center. She presented her photo ID to an official to verify her identity and dug out her tax document as proof of income. Adachi went to another office, to obtain a document showing she was indeed single. "I wasn't bothered," said Adachi of the government rigmarole.

She dreaded meeting one more man whose dating app photo looked better than the guy did in person.

Japan makes plenty of cars but not enough babies. The nation's population has been falling since its peak in 2008, falling by more than 800,000 a year.

"If radical action isn't taken, Japan (and many other countries) will disappear!" Elon Musk posted in alarm on X in June.

Because married couples produce 98% of the babies in Japan, local governments have added matchmaking to their public services.

It cost Adachi about $100 for a two-year plan. She didn't need that long to meet a man her age. She wasn't impressed by his photo, but Ri Adachi had a solid job as a systems engineer. They had lunch and took a walk in the park.

He liked her cheerful smile, and she liked his easygoing conversation. "Even on the first date," she said, "I felt very comfortable with him."

People seeking a marriage partner list their hobbies, income and location, among other details. Some local governments give a test to determine values, personal traits and behavior patterns for computerized matching.

Tokyo officials will soon introduce an app employing artificial intelligences. The planned app will require matchmaking applicants first be cleared online via camera and sign a sworn statement saying they are committed to getting married.

"It sounds like too much trouble," said Natsuki Tomigawa, 28, who works in the tourism business and uses commercial dating apps.

In some places, making such a match has proven difficult. The city of Akitakata in western Japan has spent a decade trying to encourage marriage, yielding 59 couples. The city calculated that it spent more than $6,000 on average to shepherd each marriage. Not all of the couples had children. Some couples divorced.

Local governments have different requirements for matchmaking services.

Ehime Prefecture on the island of Shikoku, is one of the most strict. A volunteer chaperone is required to accompany prospective couples on their first date. The chaperones usually stick around for the first half-hour to help break the ice and make sure there is no funny business.

Chaperones also enforce local rules: The couple are forbidden from exchanging names or phone numbers on the first date, which is limited to two hours. Later, the man and woman -- there are no same-sex services offered -- tell the chaperone whether or not they liked their date partner. If both did, the chaperone shares names and contact information.

"I tell them these are all for your safety," said Naomi Atarashi, 64, a veteran chaperone.

She typically asks the couple to look at each other for three seconds and then give their impressions. "They're usually very shy and tense," Atarashi said. "They need help to start conversations."

The chaperone program is among Japan's most successful. Its 200 chaperones help around 100 couples tie the knot every year, about 2% of marriages in the prefecture. Its birthrate, however, hit a record low last year.

Atarashi, the veteran chaperone, said people signing up for matchmaking are increasingly older. They are looking for a companion to share their later years.

She recently accompanied a woman in her late 40s, who had been once married. Another time, she supervised a 63-year-old man who had never married.

"Our initiative to tackle the low birthrate is turning into something different," Atarashi said. "It's good, though, that this will help reduce the number of elderly living alone."" [1]

In Lithuania, the conservative government also promotes the birth rate, but with cluster bombs. The greater the risk to the children, the more we have to give birth to increase the chances that at least one will survive.

1. Japan's Lonely Singles Seek Romance From the Government --- Falling birthrates have yielded the office of matchmaking; 'They need help'. Inada, Miho.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 20 July 2024: A.1.