One out of every six couples who were married in Japan last year were reportedly brought together by a matchmaking service known locally as “konkatsu.”
Konkatsu later: According to a recent survey, matchmaking activities, which include events and parties organized by marriage agencies and similar online services, accounted for 16.5% of all marriages in 2020, reported Nippon.
- The survey was conducted online by Recruit Bridal Research Institute from May through June this year. It received responses from 50,000 men and women aged 20 to 49.
- The findings showed a 3.5% increase from the previous year and registered a record high for the third consecutive year.
- Of those who used konkatsu, 49.9% said they not only met their partners using the service but also got married through it.
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Breaking the figures down: Of those who used konkatsu, 44.7% said “a love- or spouse-hunting website or app” helped them find their spouse, while 41.7% used a “marriage agency.”
- The survey also revealed that 22% found their spouse using a “miai (arranged) matchmaking meeting,” while 20.2% attended a “konkatsu party or event” to do so.
- Interestingly, 21.9% of those who used a form of konkatsu said they still “asked a friend for an introduction” before getting hitched.
- The survey comes as Japan saw a drop in the number of marriages overall last year due to the pandemic, Reuters earlier reported.
- The country, which has been trying to address its low birth rate and aging population problems for years, has even resorted to rewarding newly married couples.
The survey highlighted the overall increase in the use of online konkatsu matchmaking services, noting that it is becoming the more popular way of meeting a future spouse.
Featured Image via Samueles
