Japan’s capital will launch its own dating app as early as this summer as part of government efforts to boost the sinking national birth rate, a Tokyo official said on Tuesday.
Users will need to submit documents proving they are legally single and sign a letter stating they are willing to marry.
Declaring one’s income is common on Japanese dating apps, but Tokyo will ask for a tax certificate to prove annual salary.
“We learned that 70 percent of people who want to get married do not actively participate in events or apps to look for a partner,” a Tokyo government official in charge of the new app told AFP.
“We want to give them a gentle nudge to find one,” he said.
It’s not unusual for municipalities to hold matching events in Japan, where births hit a new low in 2023, but it’s rare for a local government to develop an app.
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An interview will be required to confirm a user’s identity as part of the registration process for the Tokyo app, which has been in free trial mode since late last year.
Many social media users expressed skepticism about the plans, with one saying, “is this what the government should be doing with our taxes?”
Others wrote that they were interested because they would feel safer.
Last year Japan recorded more than twice as many new baby deaths.
Births fell for an eighth straight year to 758,631, down 5.1 percent, according to preliminary government data. The death toll stood at 1,590,503.
The nation faces growing labor shortages, and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has promised policies that include financial aid for families, easier access to childcare and more parental leave.
Source: AFP