Photo/Illutration Ryoto Ito, right, and his wife, Masumi (Provided by the Itos)

Office worker Masumi Ito began living in Tokyo in March last year but felt isolated in the capital where about 14 million people reside. 

The 29-year-old initially had few friends in Tokyo, where no matchmaking parties were available because of the pandemic.

She realized one day she had not talked to others for a week or so, except when she had work-related conversations online.

Thus, Ito turned to the Pairs matchmaking app, for which she had previously signed up.

Pairs allows its users to share their personal information, such as their pictures, profiles and hobbies. Users can press a “like” button if they see someone they're interested in, and they are linked if the person in question “likes” them in return. A linked-up pair can directly contact one another. 

The health ministry’s Vital Statistics of Japan shows 525,507 couples got married in 2020, the first year of the novel coronavirus pandemic, down 73,500 from 2019.

But more people, in fact, are taking active steps toward finding a mate.

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The Pairs matchmaking app allows users who have been linked up, as shown in this screenshot, to exchange messages. (Provided by Eureka Inc.)

Figures from the research firm Data.ai show Pairs app downloads were up a significant 70 percent in 2020 from the pre-pandemic figures of 2019.

Those in their 20s who signed up for services from the Japan Marriage Consulting Federation was up 53 percent in 2021 from 2018.

JMCF members also grew under the pandemic. The group had a membership of more than 76,000 as of the end of March this year, up more than 10,000 from the pre-pandemic figures of December 2019.

New subscribers to Zwei Inc., a major matchmaking agency, in November 2021 was also up 60 percent year on year, again with a notable growth among those in their 20s.

“Fewer opportunities for meeting a potential mate” and “scanty opportunities for talking to colleagues of the opposite sex” are among the most common motivations cited for signing up, a Zwei representative said.

Introducing online marital talks and other new ideas has notably created more opportunities to meet potential mates irrespective of the geographical distance, company officials said.

Ito was about a month into Pairs when she got to know Ryoto Ito, 27.

Ryoto had signed up for Pairs in April 2020.

He said he initially felt put off by the idea of a matchmaking app because he was dreaming of a more romantic encounter, like falling in love with someone he meets in a bar. 

But Ryoto soon had few opportunities to get to know anybody from his workplace as he continued working from home. He said the pandemic had made him realize more acutely how lonely he felt on his own. 

Zwei officials said the trend for being at home longer has changed the qualities wanted in a mate.

There is, for example, a growing tendency to look for those with whom you can feel comfortable and who can show consideration for others, whatever their annual income level or physical appearance, the officials said.

After Ryoto talked with Ito over the phone, he met her and felt she was the one for him. Both had lived overseas and wanted to form a dual-income family. They had topics of common interest and had similar spending habits.

They immediately began dating.

After a proposal in September, they were married in October.

Both basically work from home, so they often eat lunch together, and sometimes even go for a walk on weekdays. Ryoto no longer feels lonely.

The couple said they hope to hold a wedding when the pandemic isn't as bad.

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