Undaunted by cancellations of parties and dating opportunities due to the coronavirus pandemic, many singles in Japan looking for marriage partners have opted for virtual gatherings.
A total of 400 people took part in matchmaking parties in April via Zoom, the online conferencing platform of Zoom Video Communication Inc. The online parties were organized by LMO Corp. in Fukuoka Prefecture, which began holding the virtual gatherings in late March.
In contrast, just 10 to 20 people had joined when the matchmaking agency launched its one-on-one online marriage-meeting service in January, before COVID-19 infections had become a major issue in Japan.