relationships

National / Social Issues Oct 29, 2020

Quarter of LGBTQ people in Japan have been outed, survey shows

The survey found 25.1% of respondents said they had been outed, with transgender men reporting the most such cases at 53.6%.

National / Media | BIG IN JAPAN Oct 3, 2020

COVID-19 accelerates the irritation in society we all feel

by Michael Hoffman

“If a married couple can’t get along in a pandemic, who can?”

Our Lives Sep 21, 2020

When Hitoshi met Bob: A Tokyo love story

by Bob Tobin

Bob Tobin couldn't speak a lick of Japanese. Hitoshi Ohashi couldn't speak any English. Still, they made things work.

Lifestyle Jul 12, 2020

New intimacy: COVID-19 offers a chance to take things slow

by Rebecca Saunders

Online dating is a safer alternative for those looking for relationships during COVID-19. But that doesn’t mean physical intimacy is on pause.

Business / Corporate May 18, 2020

Need for social distancing boosts Japan's online matchmaking party business

In April 400 people took part in online parties organized by a matchmaking firm in Fukuoka Prefecture.

Lifestyle May 16, 2020

Romancing the phone: Japan navigates love in the time of coronavirus

by Andrew McKirdy

With social distancing measures likely to stay in place in Japan for some time, what impact will they have on the way we interact with each other?

Business / Tech Jan 19, 2020

Japanese matchmaking firms get high-tech lift from gadgets and AI

Artificial intelligence and other cutting-edge technologies are starting to play a role in matchmaking as they increasingly wind their way deeper into people's lives. Today's high-tech gadgets are now being used to give people greater knowledge of potential mates, details from hobbies and smoking preferences ...

National / Social Issues Aug 4, 2019

In digital age, singles in Japan returning to journal exchanges to find love

Despite Japan's growing obsession with digital communications, singles in Nagano Prefecture have gone head over heels for a decidedly old-fashioned correspondence program in Chino that links strangers seeking marriage partners through shared, handwritten diaries. The Chino Municipal Government launched the so-called Yui Nikki (Bond Diary) ...

Language | WELL SAID Mar 19, 2018

Joining up contradictory conditions in Japanese with 'ippo'

by Akemi Tanahashi and Hitomi Tashiro

Fudan-no seikatsu-wa setsuyaku-suru ippō, o-iwaigoto-wa hade-ni suru. (They economize in their daily lives on the one hand but pull out all the stops for celebrations.) ...

National Feb 23, 2018

Kyoto develops new niche, hosting wedding ceremonies for international couples who cherish traditional Japan

More and more couples from overseas are holding wedding ceremonies in Kyoto, attracted by the ancient capital's reputation as symbolizing traditional Japanese culture. In 2015 the city government started to issue marriage certificates for foreign couples who held weddings in the city, following information from ...