Apps spring up to fight corona loneliness, rather than find romance

There’s an app and website called Jimoty that together vaguely suggest an ancient marketplace. Got something to buy or sell? A service to offer, a void to fill? A search could well begin here, and lead to almost anything almost anywhere. Post your blurb, state your case, take your chances. Eleven million people a month are said to visit the site.

Spa! (Aug 10-17) has a novel idea. Why not use Jimoty to find a friend? “Corona loneliness” as the virus crimps socializing bites deeper. The crisis drags on and on. “Matching” apps and sites abound, but they’re mostly for seekers of love and/or marriage. Simple friendship, uncomplicated companionship, is another matter.

A reporter in his 30s explores Jimoty’s capacity for friendship. A brief self-introduction he posts concludes, in effect, “Let’s be friends!”

“Yes, let’s,” says the first reply. It’s from a man in his 20s. “Do you mind,” he says, “switching to Line?”

No sooner said than done. The young man is very friendly indeed – maybe too friendly? He proposes they attend a gokon together. A gokon is a party for singles seeking marriage partners. “It’s a two-on-two affair,” the young man explains, somewhat breathlessly. “We can drink all night.”

“Not so fast!” Spa!’s reporter thinks to himself. First of all, he’s not seeking a partner. Second, there’s the virus out there, and all-night drinking seems best avoided. “Some other time, maybe,” he says, withdrawing tactfully.

Let’s try again, he thinks. He narrows his pitch down, suggesting a meeting for tea during the day rather than drinks by night. He hears soon from a woman in her 20s, an anime fan, bubbly and enthusiastic. “Sure!” she said. Let’s get together!”

They do – over tea. Nice girl, he thinks, warming to her. Conversation flows easily. Her vivacity is charming – also, he confesses to himself, a little wearying for a man his age. She talks about herself. She’s from Kansai, new in Tokyo, knows no one. She too had turned to Jimoty for friendship, not romance. “There’s this anime conference,” she says, her enthusiasm now almost feverish. “Let’s go together!”

Anime conference? The reporter’s heart sinks. Anime’s all right, but a conference hall full of people almost a generation younger than he going on and on and on about anime – all too clearly he can picture the scene to himself, and he shrinks from it. And again: corona. Is it safe?

 He hasn’t said no yet, however. He’s mulling it over. Among his thoughts as he does so: “What would a girl her age want with an old guy like me?”

© Japan Today