Sawt Falasteen - 'Appy marriages: AI helps hundreds of Japanese wed

TOKYO Enmusubi went live in September 2024 after a survey found that around 70 percent of people interested in marriage were not actively engaging in matchmaking.

To overcome this reluctance and ensure that only people interested in tying the knot joined, those signing up had to prove that they were legally single and pass an online interview, among other conditions.

As of June 30 this year, the app had 16,000 registered members -- whittled down from around 36,000 applicants -- and 760 couples in "serious relationships", according to government data released this month.

A total of 265 couples had married.

The government quoted one woman with the pseudonym "Turtle" as saying she tried the app "as a last chance" as she approached her 40th birthday.

"After going on several blind dates, I met my current husband at the end of August, and we started a serious relationship in mid-September," she said.

"I accepted his proposal at the end of December."

The number of babies born in Japan to Japanese nationals hit a new record low of 671,236 in 2025, in the 10th consecutive annual decline, government data showed in June.

Deaths were more than double that at 1.6 million, while the fertility rate edged down 0.01 percentage points to 1.14 although marriages inched higher, the Health, Labour and Welfare Ministry numbers showed.

"The AI showed your compatibility with the people it introduces to you in three stages, so even if you are unsure whether to meet someone, a high compatibility rating will give you the encouragement you need," said "Skytree".

"My girlfriend's AI compatibility rating was perfect," he added.

W.Mansour--SF-PST