In February, Japan’s government said it needed to take “unprecedented steps” to tackle the country’s low birth rates.
The Tokyo government got the message.
The city has invested $1.28 million in a dating app for its residents that will launch this summer.
The app, run by a private contractor, has a rigorous registration process to ensure users are committed to marriage as an end goal.
Japan’s national newspaper Asahi Shimbun reported that the app requires not only a photo ID, but also an income certificate and an official document confirming your relationship status.
The paper said there are 15 categories of personal data to fill in on the app, including height, education and occupation – all of which will be visible to potential matches.
After that, users participate in a mandatory interview with the app’s operators before signing a pledge promising that they are looking for a marriage partner and not just a casual relationship.
“If there are many individuals interested in marriage but cannot find a partner, we want to provide support,” a Tokyo official said, according to the Asahi Shimbun.
Officials acknowledged it was rare for a local government to develop a matchmaking app, but they said they hoped the officially approved app would encourage people reluctant to use mainstream apps.
The government application comes as Japan faces critically low birth and marriage rates.
On Wednesday, data released by Japan’s Health Ministry revealed that its birth rate fell 5.6% in 2023 to the lowest level since Japan began recording statistics in 1899. Marriage rates fell 6% compared to by 2023.
In Tokyo, the numbers are even worse. The city’s fertility rate, the number of children a woman is expected to bear in her lifetime, was 0.99 in 2023 – the only prefecture that failed to reach 1.00.
Overall, the country’s population of 125 million is projected to decline by 30% by 2070, which could have dangerous implications for the country’s economy and national security.
The Japanese government has set aside $34 billion in the 2024 budget for childcare and parenting services.
Elon Musk, who is passionate about fighting population decline, tweeted his support for the app, saying he was “pleased that the Japanese government recognizes the importance of this issue.”
Tesla’s CEO has expressed his belief several times that low birth rates globally could lead to “population collapse.” He has called this issue “a much greater danger to civilization than global warming.”
“Unless radical action is taken, Japan (and many other countries) will disappear!” Musk said in response to the app’s announcement.
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