Approximately 20% saw changes in their views on relationships in the age of Covid-19.  

Singles have higher motivations to be in relationships.

Tokyo, Japan (August 25, 2020) – Eureka Inc., Japan’s leading provider of global dating products, Pairs and Pairs Engage, recently released results from their latest survey, “The Impact of Covid-19 on People’s Values on Love and Marriage” at a virtual media seminar, “Love and Marriage in the Age of Covid-19,” on June 25, 2020.

Junya Ishibashi, CEO of Eureka, Inc. unveiled the survey results, followed by a discussion on the topic of “Love and Marriage in the Age of Covid-19” with guest speakers Touko Shirakawa, Guest Professor at Showa Women’s University​and Project Professor at Sagami Women’s University, ​as well as journalist Renge Jibu.

The survey, “The Impact of Covid-19 on People’s Values on Love and Marriage,¹” found respondents have higher motivations to be in a relationship, whereas nearly 50% said that they hesitate to get married. Other key findings:

• Approximately 30% of the respondents aged between 20 and 39 years old said their desire to be in a relationship has increased. This sentiment is stronger among those who said they have been wanting partners since prior to the pandemic. 
• Moreover, due to the pandemic and economic circumstances, approximately 50% said it is hard to commit to marriage at the moment, despite their strong desires to be in a relationship. 
• In a mere two to three months, approximately 20% felt changes in their view on relationships.
• The survey highlighted that people highly value having compatible personality and values with their partners as well as choosing or remaining with a partner who has financial stability.
• It also brought to light that their view on marriage has changed. Singles who have never been married said they feel uneasy about “Corona Divorces.”
• Because of Covid-19, some said they feel it is difficult to spend time with their partner or maintain their marriage.
• 80% of singles who have never been married know the coined term,“Corona Divorce.” 30% of those who know the term responded they feel the concept is relevant to them.
• Some felt Covid-19 has raised the bar with their relationship and/or marriage, commenting “it feels difficult to spend time with my partner or maintain my marriage.”
• One out of four people have seen changes in the ways they seek a romantic and/or life-time partner after Covid-19. 
• More than 60% who are not actively looking for a partner said that they suspended such activities, due to Covid-19.  
• One out of four people said that there were changes in the ways they seek a partner, including some who showed high expectations for online dating apps.

Professor Shirakawa and Jibu commented that they are not surprised with the survey results; immediately after the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake and Tsunami in 2011, followed by the Fukushima nuclear disaster, there has been a trend among Japanese to rush to matrimony agencies in order to find lifetime partners. However, the number of people actually getting married was low because Japanese consider financial stability as one of the primary conditions for their spouses.

Shirakawa said, “After people experience natural disasters, they tend to make decisions that will have a significant impact on their lives, i.e. getting married, giving birth and getting divorced.” She added that instead of seeking superficial attributes in their partners, people tend to seek meaningful connections and to share the same fundamental values, i.e. seeking a partner who has a similar moral compass. These values include how their partners behave during a crisis and how they maintain hygienic standards under Covid-19.

When we look for our life partners, the survey outlines how the pandemic triggers everyone to rethink the significance of taking into account what we look for in our partners. It also highlights our own core values and makes us question if those of our partners align with ours.

According to the survey, online dating apps could provide optimal solutions to find and meet people with whom we share common values, especially during the time when we are facing a world-wide pandemic when we need to support each other emotionally. In addition, online dating could support and boost offline dating in a period when the world is shifting to new norms of practicing self-restraint and social distancing.

About Pairs

Launched in October 2012, Pairs is the most utilized* online dating app in Japan.  With abundant search functions and over 100,000 communities, Pairs will allow its members to be connected with an ideal partner through criteria they set or through other members who share the same or similar hobbies and values with them.  Because of our 24 hour/365 day monitoring system which monitors pictures and texts posted on the app, the one and only and industry-first operator service, our members can meet other members through our app at ease with the reassurance of security we provide. The Taiwanese version of Pairs, “派愛族” and the Korean version, “페어즈” were released in October 2013 and September 2017, respectively. Pairs has achieved 10 million cumulative members as of January 2019.

*Source: MMD Labo x Smart Answers “2019 Survey of Matching Apps & Utilization”.

https://www.pairs.lv/

About Eureka, Inc.

Eureka has a mission to provide a life-changing service that people will remember with great fondness and a vision to help people find their life partners and make dating services a social norm in Japan and Asia.  Eureka operates “Pairs,” Japan’s largest online dating app and “Pairs Engage,” an online marriage agency.

According to a survey by Japan’s Cabinet Office,* approximately 80% of singles in their 20s to 30s desire to get married while there are lesser opportunities to meet people in the workplace or in other daily surroundings, resulting in both rising rates of singles  and declining birth rates.  In this environment, people are starting to welcome online dating apps as the new way to meet people, contributing to a rapidly growing market. Since 2015, Eureka became part of Match Group, a leading provider of dating products worldwide, enabling the company to harness global knowledge to help resolve Japan’s rates of singles and declining birth rates. Eureka aims for further global shares by expanding its services in Asian markets beyond Japan, Taiwan and Korea.

*”Attitudinal Survey Regarding Marriage and Families,” 2014

For media inquiries contact

PR Dept., Eureka, Inc.　

pr-pairs@eure.jp  

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¹Methodologies

1. Quantitative survey.  Multiple-choice questions distributed and collected online 

Fieldwork May 14-15, 2020

Target 2,704 respondents nationwide, single men and women, 18 to 59 years old, not in a relationship 

Research CompanyMacromill, Inc.

2.Quantitative & Qualitative survey. A mix of multiple-choice and short written open questions distributed and collected online 　　　　

Fieldwork May 22-26, 2020

Target 214 respondents nationwide, 20 to 39 years old, have intentions of dating or getting married

Research Company Ipsos K. K.

This press release is an abridged translation of the original Japanese press release.