lifestyle

Company promises women the man of their (financial) dreams

74 Comments
By Richard Simmonds, RocketNews24

Some Japanese women feel they have a difficult time finding acceptable suitors, with in certain cases might have something to do with their expectations. In the past, surveys have shown the importance of a romantic partner’s salary in the minds of many single women, but criteria such as a lofty academic background and a high income can be hard to identify at a glance. However, for those looking for a solution to that problem, the company Ikinari Date (meaning “sudden date”) may be just the thing.

Ikinari Date’s application process is so tough that less than five percent of male applicants pass muster. The men are expected to have graduated from one of the country’s better universities, have a job in a highly respected profession such as a lawyer or doctor, or for a company employing more than 100 staff, and to be aged between 23 and 39. Well, that’s me out, at least until RocketNews24 takes over the Internet and expands its staff several times over. The conditions for women are a little less stringent; they need to be aged 20 to 26, and have graduated from a university or be currently studying at one.

The official website even gives details of what sort of universities their members graduated from, with nearly 20 percent of the men having graduated from the prestigious Keio University.

As Ikinari Date’s name would suggest, it aims to be rather immediate, though it doesn’t involve jumping out of bushes at passing strangers wielding flowers. Instead of seeing whether you like the look of each other in photo form (a la Tinder) prospects are thrown together on a lunchtime date. Users who pass the test give details of when they’re free to meet, and an Ikinari Date staff member will book a restaurant for your encounter with destiny. This means that one day you could be lonely at home, wondering why you haven’t landed yourself a brain surgeon/member of the landed gentry, and the very same day you could be tucking into lunch with a high-spec man. A high-spec man who also feels the need to use a dating service, but a high-spec man nonetheless.

The Ikinari Date service is currently only available in Tokyo and Osaka and women signing up now will get one date free; usually each date costs 1,500 yen a pop. Or, if that doesn’t work out, maybe these lonely ladies could try looking for some otaku love.

Source: Ikinari Date Press Release

Read more stories from RocketNews24. -- Judge sets new line for adultery in landmark case, and it doesn’t involve intercourse -- Sushi Wine doesn’t pair well with raw fish, but we’re still going to buy another bottle -- The ugly truth of goukon, Japan’s group blind dates

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74 Comments
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Sounds like the phenomena "papakatsu", which is trending right now, and the amount of sugar daddy websites is not decreasing at all...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Sickening. Just sickening. The very notion that men here are nothing more than ATMs and sperm donors is one reason why so many MEN here are refusing to get married. Parasite women who demand a certain income from a potential spouse and society encourages this. I would hope these supposedly well educated men realize they are victims of sexism with all of this.

This isn't a Japanese phenomenon. It's a human phenomenon: http://www.bestsugardaddywebsites.com/

I get that you're happy being the ATM but by looking at the comments here, not all men are. Ad not all women are happy to play "okaasan" the way you wish all women would.

I'm an ATM insofar as that I am the breadwinner for my family. But you are attempting to pigeonhole my marriage into a one-dimensional topic to fit your agenda. And anytime you do that, you are pretty much guaranteeing that real life will be much more broad than that one-dimension. For example:

not all women are happy to play "okaasan" the way you wish all women would.

I have no problem with my wife working at all if she wants to. Our kids are old enough now that she could do it, though we'd have to find someone to take care of them after school for a few hours until one of us got home. And I don't care what other people do in their own marriages - not only do some women want to work, in many families, both parents need to work in order cover their financial obligations. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. What is wrong is thinking either than a woman has to work, or that she shouldn't. Neither extreme is good.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I meant by choice @pacint

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Not true, I never looked for another source while my wife was fighting/dying from breast cancer for 5 years.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

If one can't receive physical affection from a partner, one needs to do some reassessment!

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

I'll say again. I can't imagine not getting some from the Mrs!! How do you guys cope??

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I would rather the roles be reversed, and allow me to date the big-income-earning woman who wants to have kids, but also wants to keep busy making money, leaving me at home to raise the kids, cook and clean. BUT, she also has to like sex, even after two or three kids. That's my perfect dating/matchmaking service.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

If that were true, then there wouldn't be divorce in this country.

Being a divorcee may be preferable to never getting married for many. I literally had a (now ex-)girlfriend say something along those lines to me once. Obviously it doesn't apply to everyone (perhaps not even the majority), but, also from talking to some single friends, they often sound more interested in 'marriage' and having a child and less concerned about who the man is (within reason).

0 ( +0 / -0 )

unfortunately in a Japanese society that means many of them will remain single.

That is true until they have to accept an arranged marriage due to peer pressure due to age and that in most cases means marriage to a man a women does not want to be with and I know women who are in these types of marriages.

The dating site just replaces the need for the go between used in past arranged marriages, but they still use the same values and ideals when deciding on a marriage partner.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The bottom line is that many of these women do not feel they have to accommodate the man. unfortunately in a Japanese society that means many of them will remain single.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

These requirements for the men and women are about the same as the sugardaddy and sugarbaby sites other than the age, how amusing.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The Japanese women I know who are married did so for love, not a comfy house, pots of cash and because they had to out of some sort of twisted fatalistic attitude.

Ever heard of Tatemae?

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

a Japanese woman will drop a man if she feels that marriage is not on the cards

Some will. Same as some western women will as well. But as a blanket statement, I have to disagree.

the status of marriage is more important than the man.

If that were true, then there wouldn't be divorce in this country.

I married my wife when poor, in a job that didn't have many prospects. I told her when I proposed that if she was going to marry me, she should expect a life of poverty. She married me anyways (and fortunately, I've been able to provide a good bit more than that in the subsequent years).

2 ( +4 / -2 )

while others will use the site as a launching pad to meet people for whom they can pre-confirm their ability to support a family, and then meet further to determine if love can also develop.

Most Japanese will say they love a partner, but it does not have the same value as it does in western relationships, as a Japanese woman will drop a man if she feels that marriage is not on the cards, the status of marriage is more important than the man.

Love nearly destroyed my marriage, as my wife feels that a man who needs love is weak.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

I still think it's sad that money and education are what some young women want from a partner, not what they are like as a person. I've known some very well educated people who are as thick as two short planks. And being rich doesn't automatically make you a very nice person. Each to their own, I suppose.

Money and education are what a woman wants here, this is a Buddhist/Shinto culture and love is not part of a marriage.

In marriage they will both have their own roles to full fill and that means a relationship with each other is not important, so it does not matter what type of person they are, the same applies to Japanese women I know who had arranged marriages.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

How shallow can you get? Not any more than this, hopefully.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I still think it's sad that money and education are what some young women want from a partner, not what they are like as a person. I've known some very well educated people who are as thick as two short planks. And being rich doesn't automatically make you a very nice person. Each to their own, I suppose.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

What sort of women would go for a site like this? None of the Japanese women I know are like this (true they're older, but mentally they seem less blinkered than these young women).

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Relative to this dating site: if consenting adults are on it then I think there is nothing wrong with it. Far be it from me to dictate to others what a "right" relationship is as I am certainly not one to "cast the first stone" as they say.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Sad, very sad. You don't go into a relationship with a clipboard and a checklist... it's daft.

But that is what the Japanese do, and this dating site is supporting that.

Still daft

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Sad, very sad. You don't go into a relationship with a clipboard and a checklist... it's daft.

But that is what the Japanese do, and this dating site is supporting that.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

not necessarily. if shes up for it as much as he is there wont be a problem. women love sex just as much as men do.

Are you talking about Japanese women in marriage with children?

Japanese men have it just as bad. I work with many who play on the side or have a mistress because the well dried up after the 2nd kid,,,

Very common excuses to avoid sex in marriage here, even my wife tried it, because she thought it was normal to live in a sexless marriage, most do and they will use any excuse to ensure that is the case, then they tell their boyfriend that they live in a sexless marriage.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Sad, very sad. You don't go into a relationship with a clipboard and a checklist... it's daft.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

so it is the mans right to somehow force the women into accommodating them. be it through financial means or some type of sexual agenda

Most Japanese men will tell their wife once married how they expect things to be in the marriage, but western men are more focused on equality and then wonder why they are in a sexless marriage with a Japanese partner.

And this dating site does not appear to support that marriage is based on love, so the end result will be that the marriage will be sexless.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The very notion that men here are nothing more than ATMs and sperm donors

Excuse me???????

I am sorry if people around you are in that situation (ATM). But to say men here are ATMs.. I disagree with the comment. Maybe you need to hang out with more decent people here :)

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Sickening. Just sickening. The very notion that men here are nothing more than ATMs and sperm donors is one reason why so many MEN here are refusing to get married. Parasite women who demand a certain income from a potential spouse and society encourages this. I would hope these supposedly well educated men realize they are victims of sexism with all of this.

This isn't a Japanese phenomenon. It's a human phenomenon: http://www.sugardaddysite.org/

I get that you're happy being the ATM but by looking at the comments here, not all men are. Ad not all women are happy to play "okaasan" the way you wish all women would.

I'm an ATM insofar as that I am the breadwinner for my family. But you are attempting to pigeonhole my marriage into a one-dimensional topic to fit your agenda. And anytime you do that, you are pretty much guaranteeing that real life will be much more broad than that one-dimension. For example:

not all women are happy to play "okaasan" the way you wish all women would.

I have no problem with my wife working at all if she wants to. Our kids are old enough now that she could do it, though we'd have to find someone to take care of them after school for a few hours until one of us got home. And I don't care what other people do in their own marriages - not only do some women want to work, in many families, both parents need to work in order cover their financial obligations. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. What is wrong is thinking either than a woman has to work, or that she shouldn't. Neither extreme is good.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

@gaijin playa

the bottom line is, women are free to do what they want, but need to accommodate the man, too.

The bottom line is that many of these women do not feel they have to accommodate the man.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Some Japanese women feel they have a difficult time finding acceptable suitors

how about Some women feel they have a difficult time finding acceptable suitors

3 ( +4 / -1 )

the bottom line is, women are free to do what they want, but need to accommodate the man, too.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

The reason these women have high expectations is because marriage to then is a job and the job is to have her husbands children and in exchange he should be able to provide enough income for her to do the things she wants to do while looking after his children and his job status should be sufficient for her to have bragging rights regarding his position in his company etc. it has nothing to do with love and or sharing a real relationship.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@ afanofjapan - As a father of a daughter (now out of college) I would be quite happy if she worked in a challenging profession or became a good housewife and mother (as long as she is happy).

Of course....I hope she can aspire to become whatever she wants to be.....but I also respect those that choose to stay home (woman or man) take care of things around the house and help to raise the kids right.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

The reason they specify a large company, good schooling, and respected professions (though i wonder if a doctor working his own medical practice would pass - thats definitely under 100 employees!), is purely for the guarantee of a continuing income. Small companies might go under, those without decent schooling might not be able to find another job easily.

The girls going to this agency have one goal in life; to become a housewife with a stable source of income. The only person to blame here is the parents of these women, who didnt give their daughters enough courage to dream bigger than that. No way i will let my daughter settle for that sort of life.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

@sensei258

Don't fall for it guys. Once you're married and she has children, she will no longer be interested in a physical relationship with you. Last week, a good friend (who has two angelic daughters) told me his wife said exactly that to him, and suggested he get a girlfriend.

Most foreign men in this situation do not want to understand why this happens, try to explain why and they think they know better even when they are living in a sexless marriage.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

All readers back on topic please. Please focus your comments on what is in the story.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@Yubaru - did you mean an annual income of 10 million to 15 million yen? 100 million to 150 million a year would be quite a rare find in any company in Japan.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I attended what is considered to be a prestigious university, in top 20 globally, emerging to a successful career. However that has not been a passport to the guy of my dreams. You won't find romance rummaging through a résumé

Which is quite reassuring and healthy, actually. Why should top $/job/education etc make dating/meeting 'the right one' any easier?

Probably why there are agencies such as Ikinari, although am not sure matching wealthy ppl with potential con artists, gold diggers and other shallow/money oriented ppl is the solution, but each to their own.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

You keep telling yourself that.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Sickening. Just sickening. The very notion that men here are nothing more than ATMs and sperm donors is one reason why so many MEN here are refusing to get married. Parasite women who demand a certain income from a potential spouse and society encourages this. I would hope these supposedly well educated men realize they are victims of sexism with all of this.

As to what these women bring, not much in terms of intelligence it seems. Cooking, cleaning, having a kid.... Nothing that would suggest these women deserve a man they expect to marry of a certain status or salary bracket. If it works for the woman and the man, great but let's be honest it isn't working. Japan isn't having kids and many here are not happily married.

Stranger, you like to think you are very liberal and all that jazz but at the end of the day, your comment really do show your true side. I get that you're happy being the ATM but by looking at the comments here, not all men are. Ad not all women are happy to play "okaasan" the way you wish all women would.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Maybe he really loves his wife and hearing that devastated him.

Fair enough.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Maybe he really loves his wife and hearing that devastated him.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

Used to work for a large Japanese corporation a number of years ago, there was a group of younger OL's, in their early to mid-20's, all single, and every one of them had an "image" of their ideal mate.

The ALL wanted a guy who was at least 175 CM or taller, yearly income of between 100 to 150 million yen, minimum, looks, and college graduate to boot.

To this day, those women are now in their mid to late 40's, and not a single one of them is, nor ever has been married, and they all moan and groan to this day about them never having the chance or opportunity to get married.

There were some pretty cute one's in the group as well, and many guys tried to date them, but they turn their noses up at anyone who didn't fit their ideals.

12 ( +12 / -0 )

Basically, a sugar daddy/ sugar baby meeting site, right??

6 ( +6 / -0 )

@ Strangerland - adding children to the mix makes it more complicated and difficult to leave. If he had no kids he could just walk.

Ok, and?

-8 ( +1 / -9 )

@ Strangerland - adding children to the mix makes it more complicated and difficult to leave. If he had no kids he could just walk.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

here a letter from a rich guy replying to a younger woman looking for a rich husband.

Dear Ms. Pretty, I have read your post with great interest. Guess there are lots of girls out there who have similar questions like yours. Please allow me to analyse your situation as a professional investor. My annual income is more than $500k, which meets your requirement, so I hope everyone believes that I’m not wasting time here. From the standpoint of a business person, it is a bad decision to marry you. The answer is very simple, so let me explain. Put the details aside, what you’re trying to do is an exchange of “beauty” and “money” : Person A provides beauty, and Person B pays for it, fair and square. However, there’s a deadly problem here, your beauty will fade, but my money will not be gone without any good reason. The fact is, my income might increase from year to year, but you can’t be prettier year after year. Hence from the viewpoint of economics, I am an appreciation asset, and you are a depreciation asset. It’s not just normal depreciation, but exponential depreciation. If that is your only asset, your value will be much worse 10 years later. By the terms we use in Wall Street, every trading has a position, dating with you is also a “trading position”. If the trade value dropped we will sell it and it is not a good idea to keep it for long term – same goes with the marriage that you wanted. It might be cruel to say this, but in order to make a wiser decision any assets with great depreciation value will be sold or “leased”. Anyone with over $500k annual income is not a fool; we would only date you, but will not marry you. I would advice that you forget looking for any clues to marry a rich guy. And by the way, you could make yourself to become a rich person with $500k annual income.This has better chance than finding a rich fool.

Hope this reply helps.

signed, J.P. Morgan CEO

2 ( +6 / -4 )

I attended what is considered to be a prestigious university, in top 20 globally, emerging to a successful career. However that has not been a passport to the guy of my dreams. You won't find romance rummaging through a résumé

6 ( +7 / -1 )

@ Fred and Strangerland - "LOL" "Lucky guy" ? Not if you love your wife and kids

How many wives refuse to have sex with their husbands, and refuse to let them have sex with other women? I would argue they are far more in number than women like this.

This woman is offering the husband a way out. Stay married, be with the kids, and yet giving him an avenue to satisfying his sexual needs.

In an ideal world, our partners would all have the same sexual drive and attraction to each other, as each other. Ideally, this guy's wife would want to sleep with him. But it's not an ideal world, and she doesn't.

I don't understand what this has to do with his kids though.

-6 ( +4 / -10 )

since when does a women need a university degree to become a house wife, and since when does a man need a university degree to look for one.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

@ Fred and Strangerland - "LOL" "Lucky guy" ? Not if you love your wife and kids

8 ( +9 / -1 )

Interesting that blood group no longer seems to be a key factor in relationships

4 ( +4 / -0 )

What man in his right mind would want to spend the rest of his life with a high-maintenance woman who loves him for his $?

The "or for a company employing more than 100 staff" is quite funny though and soooo J! My best paid jobs have always been with small/medium size biz rather than big corporations employing thousands of salarymen.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

basically, in my experience, if you have money and youre good looking (work out, muscle, nice hair, etc), you can land any girl you want! this is an event for conceited desperate (possibly unattractive women, and men) with no confidence in the real world to land a decent partner. but, could still be fun!

-7 ( +1 / -8 )

What on earth emerges or hatches from a prestigious university?, the prospect of a date Gollum PhD

1 ( +2 / -1 )

"with nearly 20 percent of the men having graduated from the prestigious Keio University"

"prestigious", but ranked 600-800th in the world."

There were a few Keio graduates at my office in the past. The banter around the office was that they came from money in the first place - particularly those who rode the escalator from elementary school.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

If any guy SERIOUSLY signs up for this then they CANT be of much intelligence LOL!!!

Depends on their goals. I bet a lot of guys get a lot of casual sex from this, though likely through leading the women on into thinking there could be more.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

with nearly 20 percent of the men having graduated from the prestigious Keio University

"prestigious", but ranked 600-800th in the world. Only a shallow person would choose their dates based on the criteria listed in the article. Perhaps a better App would be one that automatically rejects such people as potential dates.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

If any guy SERIOUSLY signs up for this then they CANT be of much intelligence LOL!!!

10 ( +11 / -1 )

Alphaape - here, here. I've actually told women on dates when they listed their typical checklist that if they're aren't smokin' hot and have at least half a brain, then expect to be nothing more than side action for the "studs" you wanna land.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

What are the women going to bring to the table with the expectations that they have?

Sekkusu, bento, ban-gohan, akachan

2 ( +4 / -2 )

sensei258 a desolate loveless existence, I could never envisage a situation I would suggest to Guy I chose to marry and have a family with to find a girlfriend. To emotionally be herald ransom to maintain contact with his daughters is cruel.

Your advice, to a best friend ? Clearly not an kinari Date .

3 ( +3 / -0 )

just last week I had a skype interview with a japanese recruiter. She gave me very good advises, and there is one I remember well:

You got to show interest for the company you're aiming. if you're a company owner and some applicant comes to an interview and says he wants to work in your company just because of the benefits wouldn't be as sad as if a woman come up to you and say she wants to marry you just because of your paycheck? How would you feel?

4 ( +4 / -0 )

This has already happened for years with companies who organize matchmaking parties (go-kon). There are parties where all the men are doctors or lawyers. For the men, it's free or a token amount to go, while the women have to pay a big doctor premium over the cost of going to a normal go-kon. When the women are the catch, I dunno, maybe students at some posh tandai, its free for them to attend and its the men who pay more.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Well, that’s me out, at least until RocketNews24 takes over the Internet and expands its staff several times over.

God forbid.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Once you're married and she has children, she will no longer be interested in a physical relationship with you. Last week, a good friend (who has two angelic daughters) told me his wife said exactly that to him, and suggested he get a girlfriend.

Lucky guy!

-2 ( +7 / -9 )

'Can't buy me love...... Cos I don't care too much for money, and money can't buy me love'......Good advice, well up to a point.

A date that requires one or both parties to take part in a application process that insists upon concrete skill and accomplishment benchmarks, evidence of high educational attainment at one of most prestigious universities, and stipulation of 24 carat professional career goal and ambition to match . You not on a date you have wandered inadvertently into a business meeting.

Ikinari Date I think I will pass on that promise, I read once personal wealth doesn't attract friends only high class foes, or something along those lines. I think the same logic applied to Ikinari Date.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

wife said exactly that to him, and suggested he get a girlfriend.

LOL!!

2 ( +5 / -3 )

I imagine the foreign guys in bad relationships/marriages are going to love this post.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

It's basically like one of those free dating Apps. Except this is Japan, so it's not easy and it's not free and the discrimination is already built in.

10 ( +10 / -0 )

What are the women going to bring to the table with the expectations that they have?

24 ( +25 / -1 )

Don't fall for it guys. Once you're married and she has children, she will no longer be interested in a physical relationship with you. Last week, a good friend (who has two angelic daughters) told me his wife said exactly that to him, and suggested he get a girlfriend.

11 ( +17 / -6 )

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