Love padlocks installed on Venus Bridge at Sumida riverside park in Tokyo. Photo Shutterstock Text Youssef el Khattabi
WUR is incredibly diverse, with hundreds of internationals working and studying here. In this column, we ask one of them to comment on certain events in their home country. This time, BSc student of International Land and Water Management Sahara Steven (20) from Japan, talks about the recent launch of a dating app by the Japanese government.
‘I was surprised when I first heard about the government’s initiative to launch a dating app. It doesn’t sound like a very Japanese thing to do. Maybe if it had happened in the US, I’d think, oh, that’s interesting. But Japan is a really conservative country. Online dating has become more socially accepted these days, but for the government to initiate something like this sounds really new to me.
‘I hadn’t realized the low birth rate in the country was a problem. A bigger issue is the high percentage of elderly people. Japan has the highest percentage of people over 65 years old in the world, and it’s increasing. Soon, 40% of the population will be over 65. We know how difficult it will be to support the elderly in the future. The burden on working-age people will be massive. So I understand why the government is trying to encourage a higher birth rate among Japanese people.
‘I don’t think the app will really work, especially not for people in their 20s. At that age, people prioritize their careers and social life over starting a family. People over 30 might be more receptive to the idea, but I don’t think it will significantly increase the birth rate.
‘Dating apps are generally seen as platforms for casual hook-ups rather than serious relationships. And if people do end up in serious relationships through these apps, they often don’t tell anyone how they met. I wonder how it will be with a government app. There might also be privacy concerns and social stigma. Also, It’s only being launched in Tokyo, which makes sense because Tokyo is more open-minded compared to the conservative countryside. It will be interesting to see how it plays out.’
