Tokyo Says Its Government-Run Dating App Has Led to Hundreds of Marriages

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s matchmaking app has helped 265 couples get married since launching two years ago. The government-backed service is part of Japan’s broader effort to address its declining birth rate.

The Japanese government launched the matchmaking app TOKYO Enmusubi in 2024, charging accepted members 11,000 yen. Today, it boasts 265 married couples and counting.

Well, there’s crucial context to take into account. TOKYO Enmusubi is Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike’s — and Japan’s Marriage Support Match Program’s — answer to a worsening problem: Low birth rate. Less than one million babies were born in Japan in 2025, according to NHK World Japan.

And when a survey from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government revealed that nearly 70% of people interested in marriage weren’t actively working with a matchmaker or making any kind of attempt at coupling up, Tokyo’s government leapt to action by creating its own dating app. 

How TOKYO Enmusubi Does The App Work?

TOKYO Enmusubi is powered by AI. One user known as Skytree told Channel News Asia, “The AI showed your compatibility with the people it introduces to you in three stages, so even if you are unsure whether to meet someone, a high compatibility rating will give you the encouragement you need.”

If a profile-based matchmaking algorithm leaves too much up to chance for your liking, you may prefer TOKYO Enmusubi’s approach, which involves an optional EQ test. 

Still, there’s a lot that a potential user needs to provide before they even have a chance at joining the app: a valid ID, a certificate of singleness, proof of income, a “written pledge,” and a registration fee of 11,000 yen, to name a few. 

That’s not to mention the interview, which prospective members have to complete before gaining access to the app. 

Why People Trust A Government-Run Dating App

You might think people would have trouble trusting a government-created dating app, especially one that requires so much personal information. But some users have reported the opposite. 

A 2025 DatingNews survey found that 66% of 1,000 US-based respondents have trust issues with dating apps, with the possibility of scammers, data leaks, and predators looming large. 

It’s unclear how, exactly, a government-run app like TOKYO Enmusubi maintains trust and safety, as far as common safety tactics, like ID verification, go. But its long and highly personal sign-up process certainly helps to detract bad actors. 

Part of what makes TOKYO Enmusubi seem more trustworthy is its stated mission to bring serious daters together. 

Unlike on some apps, where you pretty much have to take a match’s seriousness at their word, TOKYO Enmusubi requires users “to submit a single certificate or other identification documents, so you can search for a partner with confidence,” according to the app. 

For TOKYO Enmusubi, intentionality is key. There are no half-hearted swipers or validation-seekers allowed; each member has to be provably serious about their intention to find lasting love. 

In an industry overrun with undecided daters, nearly guaranteed commitment is a valuable asset. 

There have been over 36,000 applicants to the Tokyo-centered dating app alone, and less than half have been accepted. Of the 16,000 registered members, 760 have formed long-term relationships, and 265 have tied the knot. 

A government-powered AI dating app may sound like a drastic move, but it’s part of a wider attempt on the part of the Japanese government to get more involved in citizens’ love lives. Japan’s Marriage Support Matching Program is a dedicated government effort to encourage romance, kickstart relationships, and ultimately, to improve the declining birth rate. 

“There was also the opinion that it is insensitive for the administration to push people to marry.” -A Hiroshima City Official

Perhaps Governor Koike put it best: “I believe we are providing opportunities and catalysts,” she said one year after TOKYO Enmusubi launched. These opportunities aren’t just online, but in person, too; The current administration has hosted offline singles events, including last December’s TOKYO Marriage Support Festa, according to Japan Forward. 

And it’s not just happening in Tokyo. Governmental administrations in several prefectures have supported dating app use, from Tottori and Ehime to Kyoto and Hiroshima. 

Will Government-Run Apps Replace Traditional Matchmaking? 

Traditional matchmakers, rest assured: It’s unlikely that government-run dating apps will deem you obsolete. In fact, despite encouraging data, we now know that government-run dating apps are not a flawless strategy.

According to Asia News Networks, there has been some competition between private and government-run apps, with privately run apps ultimately winning out: 

“Wakayama Prefecture organized matchmaking events from fiscal 2013 to fiscal 2023 that led to the formation of 584 couples, but the program was discontinued in fiscal 2024 due to people’s increasing use of privately-run matching apps.”

Plus, a city official from Hiroshima also told Asia News Networks that public opinion surrounding the government-run dating apps wasn’t always as glowing as it seemed. “There was also the opinion that it is insensitive for the administration to push people to marry,” they said. 

It seems that government-run dating apps aren’t a new competitor so much as a new opportunity for traditional matchmakers. People who are uninterested in going the dating app route, government-run or otherwise, will likely be more open to help from a traditional matchmaker.