Tokyo working on dating app to boost marriage, childbirth

Tokyo: Called “Tokyo Futari Story”, the city hall’s new initiative is just that: An effort to create couples, “futari”, in a country where it is increasingly common to be “hitori”, or alone. While a site offering counsel and general information for potential lovebirds is online, a dating app is also in development. City hall hopes to offer it later this year, accessible through phone or web, a city official said.
Details were still undecided. City Hall declined to comment on reports that the app will require a confirmation of identity, such as a driver’s license, tax records to prove income and a signed form that says one is ready to get married. The reports also said the app may ask for your height, job and education but the official denied anything was decided.
Marriage is on the decline in Japan and the country’s birth rate has fallen to an all-time low. Last year there were 4,74,717 marriages, down from 5,04,930 in 2022 while births totalled 7,27,277, down from 7,70,759. On the national level, the govt has been trying to solve labour shortage by promising cash payments to families with children and supporting child-care facilities.
During the “baby boom” era of 1970s, Japan recorded over 2 million births a year. But today, fewer Japanese are interested in old-style marriage or having children. There are concerns that workplace norms tend to lead to long hours and rarely meeting people outside work. Some say raising children is expensive.
Tokyo City Hall is also sponsoring events where singles can meet, couples can get marriage counselling and where lovers can have their stories turned into manga comics.