GDI – Mark Brooks interviews Ikuho Nakahata, Head of Marketing at Tapple, about the Japanese online dating market. Ikuho explains how Tapple grew to 20M users by focusing on shared interests, a simple swipe interface, and trust features that helped move past Japan’s old “deaikei” stigma. She discusses key competitors like Pairs and the dating app with, and explains how Tapple positions itself as the more casual, youth-oriented option in a crowded market. Ikuho also introduces Koigram, Tapple’s new free MBTI-style personality-matching app designed to lower barriers for men and women and offer a fresh, shareable dating experience.
p>Category: Tapple Tanjo
Japan Pushes for Dating App Transparency Amid Rise in Marital Status Verifications
UNSEEN JAPAN – In Japan, dating apps are becoming a popular way to meet partners, with 25.1% of couples now connecting online. As usage grows, so does the push for accountability, especially around relationship transparency. Some users have faced legal consequences for misrepresenting their marital status, prompting conversations about trust and safety in digital dating. Complaints related to deception have increased, and courts have begun awarding damages in such cases. In response, apps like Tapple now offer optional marital status verification using Japan's national ID system, while the government-backed Tokyo Futari Story app requires full verification. Public support is strong, with many users favoring measures that promote honesty and reduce the risk of abuse.
Japanese Dating App Tapple Launches Single Status Verification Via Government ID
JAPAN TIMES – Tapple, a Japanese dating app with ~20 users, has launched a new feature that allows users to verify their single status using Japan's government-issued My Number card. The verification is done through the official Myna Portal, and adds a certification to the user's profile. This is the first time such verification has been integrated into a major dating app in Japan. A survey by Tapple found that 69% of women and 54% of men were concerned about matches being secretly married.
Marriage-Centered Dating Apps Rise in Japan
by Hilary Keyes
See full article at Savvy Tokyo
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The Dating App Revolution Has Hit Japan
JAPAN TIMES – In a recent survey of 20- to 40-year-olds in Japan, 80% of unmarried men and women said they wanted a relationship. But a majority of that number, 55%, said they were moderately or very passive in their approach to dating. In addition to internationally known apps such as Tinder and Bumble, popular Japanese dating apps include Omiai, Pairs, Tapple and YYC (in order from least to most casual). Despite their popularity, users still report complaints about the dating app method in Japan. Men lament getting regularly stood up, and women describe a frequent expectation of sex on the first date that can sometimes turn aggressive. Both men and women have also complained about ghosting. "72% of Tinder members say they want to meet someone who understands exactly what they're looking for," says Kyo Cho, the country manager at Tinder Japan. To address that, Tinder recently introduced a "Relationship Goals" tab for user profiles that lets them display what they're looking for, with the options of "long-term partner," "long-term, open to short," "short-term, open to long," etc.
Young Japanese Are Less Hesitant When It Comes To Online Dating
THE JAPAN TIMES – Feb 14 – According to Hirokazu Nakamura, chief product officer and chief marketing officer of Tokyo-based startup Eureka, young people are not losing interest in love. "They have been placed in a situation where finding love is too difficult. They just have too many things that they want to prioritize," said Nakamura. Eureka, owned by Match Group, developed dating app Pairs that claims 7M registered users with 4K relationships being made every month. 80% of its users are 20-30 years old. But there is still a negative image in Japan about meeting someone online, as some shady deai-kei online dating services have been hotbeds for child prostitution and other crimes. But young people seem to be less hesitant in pursuing a relationship online as more well-known companies are entering the dating app market, such as matchmaking service Tapple Tanjo or e-commerce giant Rakuten which operates Rakuten O-net, a service designed for people who are serious. The dating app market in Japan is expected to more than double to ¥57.7B ($542M) by 2022 from ¥20.8B ($195M) in 2017, according to MatchingAgent.