Photo/Illutration A privately-run dating app “tapple” (Provided by Tapple Inc.)

To promote marriage and address the chronically low birthrate, the Tokyo metropolitan government is releasing its own dating app with an emphasis on strictness to prevent problems associated with other match-making services.

The new fee-based app, operated by a private contractor, is expected to become available this summer. It is rare for a local government to develop a match-making app, Tokyo officials said.

The Tokyo metropolitan government has allocated 200 million yen ($1.28 million) in its budget for fiscal 2023 and 300 million yen for fiscal 2024 for the dating app and other marriage promotion projects.

The app’s registration process will be thorough.

In addition to a photo ID, users will have to provide an income certificate and show they are single through their family register or other official document.

Users will also be required to enter 15 items of personal information, including height, educational background and occupation, which will be disclosed to potential matches.

An interview with the app’s operators will be mandatory for registration.

On top of that, users will be required to sign a pledge stating that they are using the app to find a marriage partner, rather than seeking a casual relationship.

Tokyo officials said the demanding requirements are needed to prevent credibility problems that have plagued existing dating apps run by private operators.

“If there are many individuals interested in marriage but unable to find a partner, we want to provide support,” a Tokyo official said. “We hope that this app, with its association with the government, will provide a sense of security and encourage those who have been hesitant to use traditional apps to take the first step in their search for a partner.”

A 2021 survey by Mitsubishi UFJ Research and Consulting Co. found that 60 percent of dating app users reported misrepresentation of marital status, false profiles and other issues with potential matches.

Nevertheless, dating apps remain increasingly popular.

According to a survey by Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Co. last fall, dating apps and workplace encounters were the most common way for couples to meet. The apps account for 25 percent of couples who married within a year.

Tokyo’s unmarried rates for 50-year-old people are the highest in the country, at 32 percent for men and 24 percent for women.

However, 67.4 percent of Tokyo residents who want to get married are not actively looking for a partner, according to a 2021 survey by the metropolitan government.

About 90,000 babies were born in Tokyo in 2022, a 15.2-percent drop from a decade earlier.

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said the low marriage rate is a major factor contributing to the decline in births.

Koike also justified the app’s income certificate requirement, saying it’s an indicator to assess a potential match and help users envision a future together.

Tokyo officials stressed they do not intend to create barriers for users based on income level.

However, the requirement may work against some male users.

“Generally speaking, men with low incomes are less likely to find a partner on dating apps,” said Saki Ito, who runs dating app review website Match Up.

Female users of dating apps tend to seek men with higher incomes, Ito added.

While acknowledging that Tokyo’s new app “may appeal to those seeking a secure, reliable platform,” Ito argued that governments should prioritize policies that raise incomes and incentivize marriage through economic benefits.

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