The New Normal for Reiwa Girls? The Latest on Matching Apps. ~Considering Reiwa Girls' Views on Love with Matchup Editor-in-Chief Saki Ito~

<Table of Contents>
▼ Matching Apps Are Definitely "Here to Stay!"
▼Reiwa-era men and women just "appear uninterested in romance"
▼ Is Love on SNS Dangerous? How to Avoid Screenshot Risks?
▼Deliberately Leaving Your Phone Behind? Reiwa Women's Dating Techniques

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Matchmaking apps are definitely "here to stay!"

Ōkura: Mr. Ito, you're active as a "matching app sommelier." What exactly do you do?

Ito: I share the appeal of apps, recent usage patterns, and trends through "Match Up," TV, SNS, and other channels. I started focusing on dating apps because I was deeply into them myself (laughs). I moved to Tokyo dreaming of glamorous romance, started meeting all kinds of men through apps, and eventually thought, "Meeting people through apps is just normal now," and "I want a job sharing the joy of romance"... That's why I launched "Match Up" in 2017.

2017 was precisely when apps like "Tapple" and "with" were gaining traction. User numbers surged, monetization prospects emerged, and I felt certain they were "here to stay!" Riding that wave while leveraging my own expertise allowed my activities to expand.

Okura: Indeed, dating apps have rapidly increased their user base and are now a common tool for young men and women. Looking at the market size, it grew from 3.2 billion yen in 2013 to an estimated 47 billion yen in 2020 – the growth rate is obvious.

Reiwa-era men and women just "appear uninterested in romance"

Ōkura: Amid talk of "more young people not dating," why are dating app registrations increasing? Terms like "herbivore men" and "young people turning away from romance" have been around for a while, and it seems like more people are disinterested in romance...

Ito: That's just that young people "appear uninterested in romance." I believe young people genuinely seek romance. Things like "most of the content in photo albums was about romance" or "spending three hours at McDonald's talking about love" were common in the Heisei era. Now, I think SNS and videos are fulfilling Reiwa women's desire for romance. They can share their own love stories on YouTube, or enjoy dating reality shows on Netflix or Amazon Prime. With smartphones becoming ubiquitous, entertainment channels have exploded, so perhaps it's just that fewer people are solely focused on romance. They still want romance, they're still interested, but the proportion of their thoughts occupied by romance is perhaps slightly lower than before. I definitely don't think there are more young people who aren't interested in romance.

Okura: That's true. We often survey young men and women, and when we ask, "Do you want a relationship? Or not?" the overwhelming majority say "Yes." But when we ask, "Do you have a boyfriend or girlfriend?" the numbers suddenly drop. "I want romance, but I don't have a boyfriend/girlfriend." I feel this isn't about "not wanting romance" or "having no interest in romance," but rather that "compared to the past, the concentration has diluted because there are more leisure options." It might also be influenced by the fact that as a result of allocating limited time and money to various forms of entertainment, the resources available for romance have decreased.

Is romance on SNS dangerous? How to avoid screenshot risks?

Okura: Surprisingly, many "Reiwa-era men and women" want romance. But compared to the days of flip phones, there are so many risks now. When I talk to young people, I often hear about "screenshot risks."

Ito: Exactly. The perception that "dating on SNS carries significant risk" is a major barrier. Nowadays, it's so easy to take screenshots on smartphones. People worry about their private exchanges being screenshotted and secretly shared, or that it could sour the atmosphere in their familiar SNS community... I think many young people want to avoid getting hurt or seeing their community destroyed by screenshot risks.

With matching apps, it's anonymous. Even if someone screenshots something, nobody cares. It's strangers, and it's not interesting. There's no risk of the community getting awkward. That's why I think young people are choosing matching apps now – they feel safe.

Okura: Don't they have any resistance to dating apps themselves? Like, "It seems desperate and embarrassing," or "I don't want people to know I'm using it"?

Ito: Not really. I think those saying "embarrassing" or "don't want anyone to know" are probably slightly older age groups. For teens and those in their 20s, using them feels almost like the norm. They often use them casually, registering partly for fun, swiping through photos of the opposite sex with friends while having lively girl talk.

Girls often sign up for dating apps based on word-of-mouth from friends. Things like, "My friend recommended it," or "I heard someone got a boyfriend using this app." In a good way, they don't seem to think too far ahead. With all the disasters and COVID, I think many young people feel like, "Who knows what the future holds? It's unpredictable." So, I don't get the impression there are many people who tried everything with the future in mind but couldn't find a boyfriend and ended up on an app as a last resort.

Okura: I see. I'd vaguely assumed it was something people registered for as a last resort when they couldn't find a partner. So Reiwa-era women use dating apps more casually, as a matter of course, almost like they're just another social media platform.

Ito: Exactly. What's interesting is that it's not like they're just using it for fun. It feels like they're avoiding risks, having a good time, and genuinely meeting people they like. I think it's because they're "everyday tools," "something normal," but also "used properly." Recently, it's becoming more common for couples who've gotten married to casually mention during their wedding introductions, "We met on an app." Especially for women, far from being embarrassed, they often feel deeply attached to it. Maybe it's like a commemorative feeling, but they really want to share their story, like "We got married thanks to this dating app called [name]" (laughs).

Deliberately leaving your phone behind? Reiwa women's dating techniques

Okura: Are there any know-how tips for using dating apps, or unique dating techniques specific to Reiwa-era men and women?

Ito: It's not really a technique per se... but I think "sending frequent messages to avoid last-minute date cancellations" is essential.

People you meet through dating apps are strangers, so there's no sense of obligation or loyalty. That's why last-minute cancellations happen easily. Reasons for no-shows vary—like "I just got lazy" or "I went to the meeting spot but left because their looks weren't my type." If you don't take precautions, there's a high chance you'll never meet and just get blocked. So once you set a date, ask about their food preferences, book a place with a Tabelog rating of 3.5 or higher, send them the URL... Maintaining that kind of regular communication to keep them interested is crucial.

Another key point is arranging to meet inside the restaurant itself. If you meet at the restaurant entrance, once the staff ushers you inside, you can't just leave (laughs).

Okura: That's a no-show prevention tactic (laughs). Also, I thought the technique Ito-san mentioned on Twitter—deliberately leaving your phone behind when you get up to use the restroom—was pretty modern and interesting.

Ito: That's the one where leaving your phone at the table when you go to the restroom makes guys think, "Wow, she trusts me that much." It's a modern dating technique for girls.

Another modern tip might be "adding a brief profile to your LINE display name so they don't get your name wrong." Dating apps are a world where you send likes to 100 people, match with 30, message 10, and meet 1 or 2. You constantly have to juggle conversations with multiple people. For example, many people change their LINE display name to something like "24-year-old ○○-chan I met on Pairs" to keep track.

Okura: I see, that's quite the technique (laughs). During the pandemic, back in May this year, the "Love and Marriage Lab" run by Mr. Ito released survey data showing that "video dating is becoming widespread among young people," right?
(Reference: https://match-app.jp/all/147522 ).

Meeting someone through a dating app and first having a video chat with someone you like seems like it would increase reliability, right?

Ito: As ways to increase certainty, apps have recently emerged that require submitting income certificates or allow user reviews. Men are finding it harder to get away with faking things (laughs). There's also the technique of doing a 2-on-2 date first to mitigate risk.

I've gone on quite a bit, but I believe the essence of romance remains unchanged, whether you're young or old, during a pandemic or not. Things like "I love the game!" "I love feeling loved!" "It's still about money! Looks!" Sure, there are plenty of trendy techniques and rules nowadays, but ultimately, I don't think stereotypes like "because they're young" or "because they're adults" apply. Anyway, I want to increase the number of people who think "Love itself is fun!" I believe people who can enjoy love will find someone they truly like and succeed. I want to keep creating content that makes people think, "Love is fun!" all things considered.

Overall

The "new dating tactics" of modern women emerged as evolving IT tools changed how we approach romance and meet people. Yet, I realized the essence of love itself remains unchanged.
The trend has shifted from "arranged marriages" to "love marriages," but I feel that a new form of meeting people, called "high-certainty matching," will steadily increase from here on out.

This concludes our five-part series "Signs of Reiwa Girls." We hope it offered glimpses into the modern behaviors and insights of today's women. Having launched in 2010 and celebrated our 10th anniversary, Gal Lab will be reborn this summer as GIRL'S GOOD LAB. Each member is planning various activities, so stay tuned!