Did you miss it? May 2 was “Konkatsu no Hi” (婚活の日), or “Marriage Hunting Day”. Yes, rather than enjoying the Golden Week sunshine, women (and men) were meant to be trying to find a spouse on that day!
“Konkatsu” is a combination of “kekkon” (結婚, marriage) and “katsudo” (活動, activity), and has been a trendy media buzz word for the last couple of years after it first appeared in print in 2007.
On top of best-selling self-help books, there is currently a multitude of companies in Japan offering konkatsu services for men and women: consultation, match-making and so on. (One of these is Sun Marie, who are behind the Konkatsu no Hi campaign.) There has also been a recent TV drama called “Konkatsu”, and don’t forget the amazing Konkatsu Bra from last year.
Women are now working until much later in life, and attitudes towards relationships and dating have become much freer. Does this mean it’s harder to find Mr Right?
In the old days, of course, there were meetings between suitable partners (お見合い, “omiai”), arranged by their elders ostensibly without their involvement. Although group dates (konpa) still thrive, the traditional customs don’t give young singles the liberty they have come to expect. No doubt the advent of male subcultures like the apathetic soushoku danshi (草食系男子) hasn’t helped matters either!
However, this isn’t just about lonely hearts. Less marriage probably means less kids, and that’s bad news for a Japan who wants to keep up with China over the next few decades. So, you get campaigns like Konkatsu no Hi to encourage people to keep looking for their special someone! Perhaps the government will get involved next.
One of the incentives is financial. By filling out an online form with your “Marriage Hunting Mission Statement” (婚活宣言) you get the change to win up to 300,000 JPY (c.$3,000)…which should go some of the way to paying for your dream wedding!
[Via J-Cast.]
