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So you’ve moved to Japan hopeful that the dating scene here will be ah-mazing and full of new excitement. You think you’ll find the perfect Japanese man for you right away and things will lead to a happy ending. Or just have some fun for a while. While that’s a great mindset to have, it’s time to get real. Most foreign women living in Japan that want a serious relationship need to put in more legwork than they might otherwise overseas. Shyness combined with language and cultural barriers plus the not-so-little matter of a global pandemic make dating an even more stressful situation than it typically is.
But luckily, we live in an era where you can find anything online—even relationships. A quick search online will show you dozens of different deai-kei (出会い系 online dating) apps, but how do you know what will help you find who or what you’re looking for?
Having been there, done that, I decided to do a quick poll of my foreign friends to find out what apps or sites worked best for them and what didn’t. 15 international women living in Japan gave the original rankings out of five stars when this article was first published in 2017, and five of that same group helped to update this ranking for the dating scene in 2020. It’s up to you whether to swipe right or left.
1. Tinder
One that doesn’t need an introduction. While most people are “just looking” on Tinder, if you’re actively trying, you can not only meet people to date, but new friends, drinking buddies, networkers and activity mates. I found a whole group of men and women to check out summer festivals with, so I can speak from experience when I say that Tinder isn’t just for hanky panky.
In 2020, Tinder began offering its global passport, normally a paid service, for free to all users. It enabled them to better connect and communicate, which for several of the ladies was a huge bonus.
Click here to read more.
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7 Comments
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BackpackingNepal
Online dating still happening? The era was between 2001 and 2016. I thought it went downhill few years ago. Maybe it's trending now due to the lockdown but obviously it's the main source of finding a parter for these countries,
China - For Million Competitive Graduated Boys Every Year
South Korea - Demand is Going Higher and Higher (with Atitude)
Japan - Can't face the Reality, Nervousness, Sexless Lowlife, etc.
Sindhoor GK
@backpackingnepal boy.. you do realize that SK has a higher suicide rate, a lower birth rate and longer working hours than the Japanese right?
timeon
Technology improved the experience for almost everything, so it is just natural for dating to follow the trend. I used to ask people about whatever location I couldn't find, now I use google maps. Same with dating, it is convenient to shortlist candidates based on mutual interests, then actually date them and see if something happens. I met some great people through dating sites (and of course some not so great), so for me it was a great tool.
match.com used to be quite popular, not anymore? And we should not forget the compensated dating sites, which are quite fluorishing...
foreignbrotherhoodarmy
Fluff at its most shameless. Actually promoting the use of these sites to women, the very same women who will complain about all the creeps they meet on it.
kaimycahl
Did I read it right Onlying Dating?
Rebecamasen
I deleted my account to start fresh, I’ve had the app for two days and no matches. Even though i had some old matches from my last account say they matched with me again on my new one. Yet still no matches on my end. I’ve tried contacting customer service with no response.