Photo/Illutration A flier for a spouse-hunting party hosted by the city of Kunitachi, western Tokyo (Shiori Tabuchi)

The city government of Kunitachi, western Tokyo, has apologized for listing different age requirements for men and women attending a “konkatsu” spouse-hunting party.

The city publicized the event in its newsletter on Dec. 5, 2022, inviting 15 men and 15 women to join. The age limit for men was between 28 and 49, but the range for women was between 23 and 44.

The difference sparked criticism from residents.

Yoko Itamoto of the nonprofit Organization for Community-based Marriage Support Activities said the different age requirements amounted to discrimination.

“Human rights-related awareness of sexism and ageism has heightened,” Itamoto said.

She said different age requirements for spouse-hunting parties are still a thing at private companies, but she heard of no such cases at activities hosted by municipal governments in recent years.

Kunitachi city changed the age requirement to 23 to 49 for both men and women for the party, which was held in January.

After the event, 10 city assembly members asked the Kunitachi mayor to investigate what had happened.

The city is expected to soon submit a report on the event to an advisory committee to promote gender equality.

“We lacked consideration of human rights,” a city government official told The Asahi Shimbun.

The January party was part of an initiative taken by Kunitachi and three other western Tokyo cities, Komae, Fuchu and Inagi.

Their first konkatsu party was held in fiscal 2022.

The cities have commissioned a general incorporated association, Nihon Nakodo-no-kai, to organize the parties. Operational costs are covered by the Tokyo Association of Mayors.

When Inagi hosted a spouse-hunting party with the same age requirements for men and women, many female attendees in their 40s showed up, while many of the men were in their 20s.

Nihon Nakodo-no-kai proposed the different age requirements for the Kunitachi event, and the city agreed.

“We set the age requirement because we thought many men and women want to have a child,” Ikuko Kato of the Nihon Nakodo-no-kai said.

She said she took the criticism “as a message that the industry needs to change in line with the times.”

Since fiscal 2013, the Cabinet Office has funded local government-initiated spouse-hunting activities as part of its countermeasures against the falling birthrate.

Starting from fiscal 2023, about 1 billion yen ($7.46 million) will be used to further expand such parties.

Shintaro Yamaguchi, an economics professor at the University of Tokyo, said economic anxiety is one reason why young people remain unmarried and do not have children.

Yamaguchi said the government needs to study if “a lack of opportunities to meet people is a reason” for the low birthrate, and it should examine the effectiveness of the spouse-hunting activities.

Masami Saito, a part-time lecturer in sociology at the University of Toyama, expressed opposition to the parties.

“Marriage and childbirth are individual lifestyle choices, and governments should not intervene to begin with,” she said.

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