Japan’s Kochi prefecture is offering financial incentives to encourage young singles to use dating apps, as part of a broader effort to address the country’s declining birthrate. People aged 20 to 39 in the southwestern region can receive up to 20,000 yen ($125) to cover the annual fees of approved matchmaking platforms, including popular apps like Tapple.
The subsidy roughly matches the typical yearly cost of using these dating sites, according to local officials. Users will be surveyed later to evaluate the scheme’s effectiveness. Kochi prefecture reportedly partnered with Tapple in December to promote safer and more reliable online dating. Other regions, such as Miyazaki prefecture, have tried similar initiatives with smaller subsidies of up to 10,000 yen.
Japan’s population challenges have worsened in recent years, particularly in rural areas like Kochi, where many young people have moved away. Nationwide, the country saw nearly a million more deaths than births in 2024, marking the largest annual population decline since records began six decades ago. Only 686,061 babies were born in 2024, the lowest figure since 1899, while 1.59 million deaths were recorded. The birthrate fell for the ninth consecutive year, reaching a record low in 2024 despite government efforts to reverse the trend.
Online reactions to Kochi’s subsidy have been mixed. While some welcome the idea, others argue that deeper issues such as financial stress, long working hours, and the high cost of raising children make relationships and marriage difficult. Dating apps are already a common way for young people in Japan to meet partners, with a 2024 government survey finding that roughly one in four married people under 39 met their spouse online, more than through work or school.
Japan has previously implemented a range of measures to boost birthrates, including expanding childcare facilities, offering housing subsidies, and launching a government-run dating app. In a more drastic step, the Tokyo metropolitan government, one of the country’s largest employers, introduced an experimental four-day work week for employees last year. The World Bank ranks Japan as having the world’s second-oldest population, surpassed only by Monaco.
