Dating can be hard in this day and age with hurdles such as global pandemics and sold-out marriage vending machines. That’s why more and more people are turning to the convenience of dating apps to meet others in the hope of making a romantic connection.
However, these services themselves can be full of pitfalls such as misleading profiles and straight-up fraud. But now the Tokyo Metropolitan Government is here to help by releasing their own dating app with the security that only the world’s biggest bureaucracy can provide.
▼ In this building romance is done by the book
The app is aimed at those 18 and up who are living, working, or studying in Tokyo. It is also said to utilize AI to find suitable pairings of users based on their personal info and a questionnaire, much like other dating apps.
What sets this app apart is the government-backed vetting process which requires users to prove their marital status and income, as well as take part in an online interview to confirm their identity. While people might be reluctant to provide personal info such as proof of income to a private company, submitting such things to the government is nothing new.
The basic system for this app has been in place since last December in a limited trial using a browser version and government employees and people who took part in government matchmaking events. Their feedback will be used to make improvements to the service moving forwards. It also appears that the browser version is open for anyone on the Tokyo Futari Story website to register while the app is still awaiting release.
And speaking of feedback, online reaction to the news has been lukewarm, with many pointing out that the government is once again trying to deal with the declining birthrate without tackling the obvious underlying causes such as economic stability and less demanding work schedules.
“Is Tokyo tax money going towards this? If this is meant to tackle late marriage and declining birthrates, then even a layman like myself thinks other things need to be done… But maybe I’m wrong and a dating app is the last resort?”
“This is pretty laughable, but if they want to be taken seriously, they should emphasize the fact that marital status, number of dependents, and income are all true.”
“This is just like Psycho-Pass.”
“I don’t know how this matchmaking works, but the government should probably stay out of weird stuff like this.”
“I tried to sign up for the browser version, but they required a studio photo so I never bothered.”
“Times are changing…”
“Older people might use this but they won’t help the birthrate and this is too much hassle for younger people.”
“Tokyo loves spending money on things that will never work.”
A dating app with a certain degree of trust could be an attractive option for many single people. We’ll just have to wait and see when it comes out later this year, pending approval from app distributors.
Sources: Tokyo Futari Story, Jiji.com, Hachima Kiko
Read more stories from SoraNews24.
-- Japanese government’s new birth rate plan: Use AI to tell people who’d be a good spouse for them
-- What do Japanese people think of their country’s low birthrate? 【Video】
-- “Where are the normal men?” A Japanese woman tells of five online dating woes
© SoraNews24
18 Comments
Login to comment
sakurasuki
How to register for that? Using MyNumber and fax application to ward office?
TaiwanIsNotChina
Hey, baby! Want to exchange fax numbers?
Mickelicious
Overreach doesn't begin to describe this.
Moonraker
Does this mean Tokyo Metropolitan Government is the world's biggest bureaucracy? I mean, it almost makes sense if it has resources and staff to commit to this kind of frippery.
gogogo
The government would have better luck hosting meet up parties. This just sounds like a massive stalker problem.
GillislowTier
It doesn’t really solve the issues as to why people are choosing to not have kids though.
Also the way people use even the common dating apps here is pretty contradictory to how they are meant to be used. Both men and women refuse to show their face out of some weird embarrassment or fear of being seen by someone they know. Instead opting for obscured faces or only pics of food and pets. Good luck to the jgov getting people to use it if it demands their face… much less a studio made portrait and income reveal lol
GBR48
I've always found the pursuit of a mate to be a little weird. It might happen by accident, kdrama style, which is fine, but I wouldn't want to spend time and money pursuing it. The whole process appears shot through with expense, emotional stress, a loss of time to do stuff and considerable compromises in one's day to day life. Fur babies seem more sensible. But I am looking forward to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's release of their first MMORPG, 'Yuriko Koike and the Hanko of Destiny'.
Speed
I don't think I'd ever entrust the govt. to help me find a mate. I think they're better off using the taxpayers' money on better social services. You know, like people expect.
tora
One wonders what are these bureaucrats are thinking (or not thinking).
More of people's taxes destined to go straight down the drain. This app will not even halt the decline in the marriage /birthrate, let alone lead to a increase in bambinos running around. But you can guarantee that billions (if not trillions) of yen will disappear into the abyss, before it is quietly discontinued within a few years.
I am starting to agree with many scientists that we surely have to be living in a simulation. The idiocy and ineptitude on display by the authorities is mind boggling. And we put up with it.
Moonraker
I think it is always the same. The first thing is how to avoid punishment or blame. There are many established ways to do that. But beyond that it is how to extend their domain and get a budget for doing so. In Japan, once the budget is established it is never relinquished and mostly never rescinded. The money must be spent, or secretly squirrelled away in a secret fund, usually by the end of the year (coming soon) so that it is rolled over into the next year. IT budget for measures to stop population decline is a plausible budget-getter, along with anything for which 'safety measures' can be appended. There is little citizen oversight of all this and very few performance criteria.
Redemption
I’m in! MBA.
Michael Machida
Seems like a great idea but it's not.
Yuuju
No, its not. Its for people who prioritize safety in the world full of lies and scammers.
Yes, younger people will always be in more danger since they are not very experienced and wise yet and dont know how twisted the world and the people are so they focus on ‘romance’ and adventure instead intil they learn the hard way.
Another fact that makes me wonder if its usual Japanese desire to come across as someone more wealthy or attractive that make people see the official app as a bad idea. I mean if a gardener or a librarian with low income put their unphotoshoped pictures on this app and be okay with it how high their chances are?
daikaka
The #1 spending by Japanese women in their 20s and 30s is oshi-katsu.
Most who use this are probably there to gain additional cash flow for oshi-katsu or host clubs. I dont think there will be much good stories coming out from this.
TokyoLiving
Excellent, well done..