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The Japanese government is using taxpayer money on a dating app called Tapple that matches people based on mutual hobbies and interests. Why? The country is facing an unprecedented population decline and the government, presumably, wants people to procreate.
‘Why don't you find a nice lover too?,’ says Tapple’s website in a loose translation from Japanese.
Government plays cupid
Tokyo, the capital city, has the highest percentage of never-married men and women at age 50 nationwide. The Land of the Rising Sun has often been associated with more and more people having a solitary existence.
This is because one in 10 residents in Japan are aged 80 and above, and is also rated as having the world’s oldest population. And old people don’t procreate.
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So the government is targeting the younger generation by introducing matchmaking apps and hosting virtual dates.
Dating apps have been identified as a prevalent method for seeking romantic partners. To prevent fraud and deter married individuals, the dating app verification process requires documentation from users' hometowns to confirm their unmarried status.
Japan: Third most loneliest nation
Tokyo's 2021 survey highlighted the popularity of dating apps, chosen by 14.5 percent of respondents. The city will leverage social media to raise awareness of abuse concerns, and existing app operators anticipate a positive impact on the industry from this verification strategy. Users often register on multiple platforms.
Whether this will attract people to date or not remains to be seen. Notably, Tokyo also has a larger share of never-married people at age 50 than anywhere else in Japan. The figures stand at 32.15 percent for men and 23.79 percent for women.
In another stark revelation, a government estimate suggests that up to 42 percent of Japanese women born in 2005 may choose not to embrace motherhood throughout their lifetimes, posing a potential threat to the nation's social security program.
The estimations come from Japan's National Institute of Population and Social Security Research, as reported by Nikkei.
Critics, however, are not buying into the government’s agenda, reported the South China Morning Post. They argue that creating another taxpayer-funded dating app may not be the solution to the challenges faced by singles.
They propose that the city and national governments should address fundamental issues causing the decline in marriages and childbirth.
Financial constraints emerge as a significant factor, with many Japanese citizens expressing a lack of resources for marriage and raising children.
A Tokyo government official highlighted that seven percent of those aspiring to marry face obstacles due to difficulties in meeting potential partners and discomfort with private matchmaking services.
Will a dating app solve the issues blaring in the fact of the third most loneliest nation in the world?
