Newly-married couples attend a group wedding in Nasu, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan, July 31, 2011. (Xinhua/Ji Chunpeng)
TOKYO, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- One in four couples who got married in the past year in Japan met through matching apps, the same proportion as those who met at work, a recent survey conducted by Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Co. has found.
The online survey, conducted on Oct. 12-16, received responses from a total of 1,620 married people aged 20 to 79 nationwide. The insurance company announced the results of the survey on Thursday.
Asked where the respondents met their spouse, 25 percent of the newlyweds answered through "matching apps" and the same proportion cited "colleagues, seniors or juniors at work," while 13.5 percent answered "introductions by friends or acquaintances," 9.4 percent said "school classmates, seniors or juniors," and 7.3 percent said "marriage hunting parties or events."
Among the reasons for those who have used matching apps for marriage, with multiple answers allowed, "because it is easy to meet people" and "because I can't meet prospective partners at work" were at 46.7 percent each, followed by "because I can choose the partner of my choice" at 41.7 percent.
Meanwhile, marriages from encounters at workplaces, which had been the standard, may have revived, the company said in its analysis, as teleworking has decreased and work attendance has increased in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and interactions at workplaces, such as drinking parties, are increasing. ■
