According to the Global Times, the "lifetime unmarried rate" among Japanese people has been increasing year by year, reaching a record high of 28% and 18% in 2020. More and more young Japanese are joining the army of "marriage and life" to escape the fate of "single dogs".
The word "marriage" originated from the book of the same name published in 2010 and means all marriage-related activities. For more than ten years, "marriage" has not only not faded out of the Japanese marriage market, but has given birth to a complete industrial chain.
Blind date website: offline "table sharing" + online matching
There is a well-known "Xiangsaki" website in Japan, which focuses on "men and women sharing tables". Offline stores are located throughout the city, offering self-service drinks and snacks. Participants will enter the store with a valid ID and the store staff will randomly assign seats. If you want to change people, you can click the "change table" button, and the waiter will adjust within 7 minutes.
There is also an online matching service. The information of large dating agencies is very transparent, and it is possible to know the number of members and the ratio of men to women. But these platforms are expensive, with the cost of the junior package being around 69,000-114,000 yuan, and the high-end package costing between more than 4 million yen. In recent years, some institutions have also introduced AI matching systems, claiming to improve matching efficiency.
In addition to the traditional blind date model, there are also various unique "wedding" events in Japan.
"Pet Marriage Activities": Single men and women love pets and can walk their dogs together, attend pet gatherings and so on. With common interests, it's easier to find like-minded partners.
"Gourmet Weddings": Grow to know each other by sharing food and participating in cooking classes, food festivals and more.
"Tourist Wedding Event": Travel together and collide with sparks in an unfamiliar environment.
Behind the phenomenon of "marriage and living" in Japan, there are not only social factors, but also the influence of economic pressure.
"Marriage" reflects the changing demographics of Japanese society and the changing concept of marriage. In the context of a "difficult to marry society", people seek love and marriage through various means, which also promotes the development of related industries.