Tokyo Is Giving a 'Gentle Push' to People Looking for Love

In Japan, where birth rates are low, it's not unusual to see local governments hosting matchmaking events to encourage people to hook up and start a family. Now, the country's capital is taking things a step further and launching a dating app, expected to be released this summer, reports the Japan Times. "Please use it as 'the first step' to begin marriage hunting," says the website for the app, which is managed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, per CNN.

• Stats: Japan's fertility rate has plummeted in recent years. Just under 728,000 births were logged in the nation of nearly 124 million people, per Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare. Meanwhile, there were 1.6 million deaths—double the number of births. The fertility rate, which signifies the total number of births a woman experiences over her lifetime, fell to 1.20, from its previous 1.26. For a country to stay stable, that fertility rate has to jump to 2.1.

• The app: Users can plug in partner preferences to narrow their search, as well as take a "values diagnostic test" that will help them sync up with possible partners. Those wishing to use the app must be 18 and working and living in Tokyo. They'll also have to hand over paperwork showing they're legally single, submit tax forms showing how much they make, and sign a note saying they're willing to tie the knot.
• Cost: Per the Asahi Shimbun, Tokyo's government set aside more than $1.2 million for the project and other marriage-themed promotions in 2023; this year, that number jumped to $1.9 million.
• Statement: "We learned that 70% of people who want to get married aren't actively joining events or apps to look for a partner," says a Tokyo government official in charge of the new app. "We want to give them a gentle push to find one."
• Reaction: "Is this something the government should be doing with our tax?" one cynic wrote on social media. Others seemed to think it was a practical idea that would offer better safety.

(More Tokyo stories.)