SOCIETY
This New Japanese Service Will Ditch Your Partner For You
Want to break up with someone, but are afraid what their reaction might be? Japan has a service for that.
marriage
SOCIETY
SOCIETY
35% of Unmarried Young Japanese Don’t Intend to Marry, Says New Government Survey
As Japan works to combat population decline, a new government report says many unmarried young people intend to stay that way.
WOMEN
“Masquerade Couples”: Why Partners in Japan Would Rather Stay Silent Than Get Divorced
One Japanese couple has barely spoken to one another in four years. But they refuse to divorce. How Japan encourages these so-called…
SOCIETY
4,000 Singles, One Theme Park: How Japan’s Mass Blind Date Brought People Together
A unique event in Saitama opened up an amusement park to men and women. The catch? You needed to find a partner…
WOMEN
Japanese Announcer Uses Common-Law Marriage to Dodge Country’s Surname Law
TBS announcer Yamamoto Erika kept her name by choosing common-law marriage over a legal one - but she'll get married if the…
LAW & CRIME
“Accidental” Affair? Japan Supreme Court Reconsiders Cheating Damages Award
On June 5, 2026, Japan's Supreme Court issued its first-ever ruling on a question most Westerners don't know Japanese law even asks:…
INSIDER
“Utility Pole Girls”: Japanese Media Has a Demeaning New Buzzword for Women
A survey of 3,000 women found 58% identified with the phenomenon. But it's the label that has people riled up.
WOMEN
Solo Weddings: Why Japanese Women Are Saying “I Do” to…Themselves
Japan's marriage rate has tumbled to a postwar low. But the country's bridal industry isn't shrinking: it's pivoting.