Here’s the good news – the majority of unmarried Japanese men and women aren’t in a relationship, so there’s plenty of opportunity to meet singles in Japan.
But whether you’re living there or just visiting, you probably want to meet someone special as soon as possible. To find the most attractive singles in your area, give one of these 6 popular Japanese dating sites and apps a try!
Pairs
This Japanese dating app was acquired by the same American company that owns OkCupid and Tinder, but there’s one big difference – it doesn’t have an English version.
If you’re learning the language, it’s a great place to practice. And if you don’t know any Japanese, you can try your luck with Google Translate on the online site.
Pairs is more popular than Tinder in Japan, especially with millennials who want a serious relationship. That means it’s not the best bet if you’re seeking something more casual. Opt for Tinder or OkCupid instead.
Women on the Pairs app can create a profile, upload photos, and send messages for free, but men must pay a monthly fee to send messages or “like” profiles.
OkCupid
If you live in a densely populated, international city like Tokyo or Osaka, or nearby a university, OkCupid should definitely make your short list.
This dating site and app is especially popular with attractive, intriguing Japanese singles in their 20s and 30s.
You’ll want to put some thought into your OkCupid profile, because your first message only shows up in her inbox if she’s “liked” your profile already.
If she hasn’t, your profile will automatically show up in her DoubleTake, Search, and Discovery sections when you send your message, and she’ll be able to read it there if she decides to check out your profile.
Creating a profile, viewing photos, and exchanging messages is completely free. If you want more perks, there are two premium memberships to choose from: A-List Basic and A-List Premium:
To learn more about OkCupid’s A-List and see when it makes sense to pay for a membership, go here.
Tinder
Pairs may be more popular, but Tinder is still a great way to meet Japanese singles looking for relationships of all kinds. This free dating app is most popular with singles under 34, but it’s likely worth checking out even if you’re a bit older and live in a mega city.
Using Tinder is simple – just scroll through your matches, swiping right to “like” or left to “pass.” When both users swipe right, a match is created and you can start exchanging messages.
If you want the ability to “like” more than 100 profiles in a 12-hour time span, then you’ll need to upgrade to a paid subscription.
Tinder offers two premium memberships, Tinder Plus and Tinder Gold. Here are the features that come with each:
If you’re under 31, Tinder Plus costs $9.99 a month. If you’re 31+, it’s $19.99. Tinder Gold is $21.99 for one month, and the price drops to $10 a month when you commit to a year-long subscription.
For everything you want to know about Tinder, check out this Tinder review.
Omiai
Omiai is similar to Pairs in that the majority of users are seeking a long-term relationship or marriage – in fact, the name of this Japanese dating app loosely translates to “matchmaker.”
It’s also in Japanese, but if that’s not a hurdle this is a great app to use if you’re serious about finding someone. You can filter your search results by 24 different criteria, including income, age, and location.
This popular Japanese dating app is also free for women, and starts at ¥2780 for men. The more months you purchase up front, the less your subscription will cost. Guys need a paid subscription to send messages, so if you're going to use the app, plan on paying for it.
Bumble
Bumble is a great Tinder alternative, especially if you don’t mind women having to make the first move.
Guys can’t send the first message – only women can reach out. But that means when you get a message, you know she’s interested.
Using the app is the same as Tinder: swipe right or left on singles near you, and if a “connection” is formed by both users swiping right, messages can be exchanged.
Unlike Tinder, she only has one day to send you a message before the match expires. And you need to reply to that message within 24 hours of receiving it, or the match also expires. But once you’ve both sent a message, there are no more time limits on messages.
Bumble’s basic features, like creating a profile, swiping through profiles, and exchanging messages are all free. This popular dating app also offers a paid subscription called “Bumble Boost.”
Paying the monthly fee unlocks three features:
- Beeline – This section allows you to scroll through the profiles of singles who “liked” your profile already, which means if you’re into them too it’s an instant match.
- Rematch – This feature allows you to give past expired matches another 24 hours to send you a message.
- Busy Bee – With this perk, you can add another 24 hours onto the countdown to prevent a match from expiring.
Bumble Boost costs $13-$24/month, depending on how many months you pay for at a time.
This is another dating app that attracts Japanese singles who want a serious relationship, so stick with Tinder or OkCupid if that’s not what you’re looking for.
For an insider’s look at Bumble, including expert tips, go here.
Japan Cupid
Japan Cupid is part of the Cupid Media empire, which is one of the biggest and most trusted names in online dating.
It’s an international dating site for anyone looking to meet Japanese singles, and also a popular dating site within Japan itself.
If you’re travelling to Japan and want to message women before you get there, this is the perfect dating site for that. You’ll find plenty of Japanese women specifically looking to meet a Westerner.
Creating a profile, uploading photos, and using the detailed search functions to browse profiles that meet your criteria is free, but if you want to send messages you’ll need a paid membership. Free members can only reply to messages sent by paid users.
There are two premium memberships on Japan Cupid, Gold and Platinum. Here are the features included with each level:
A Gold membership costs $29.98 for 1 month, $59.99 for 3 months, or $119.98 for 1 year. A Platinum membership costs $34.99 for 1 month, $69.98 for 3 months, or $149.99 for 1 year.
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