Japan: Marriage Hunting! · Global Voices
Scilla Alecci

Since autumn of last year, in Japan, a new term has been floating in the air. It is konkatsu 婚活 (an abbreviation of kekkon katsudô 結婚活動), based on the popular phrase shûkatsu (就活 job hunting), it may be roughly translated as ‘marriage hunting’.
Konkatsu is not merely a new word, it is a social phenomenon that has emerged lately to the point that Japanese have felt the need to ‘name’ and recognize it, also representing it in many TV series  [ja] and shows [ja].
Known as one of the countries with the lowest birth rate in the world, Japan has also been facing another problem, probably because of a wealthier lifestyle: the increasing number of unmarried people, who have no intention to give up their working ambitions and personal whims to create a family.
According to a survey on ‘the state of country’ [ja] by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research, in fact, in the decades from 1970 to 2000, the percentage of unmarried women (20-30 y.o.) has tripled from 18% to 54% and, similarly, the percentage of single men (30-40 y.o.) has grown from 12 % to 43%.
Thus, marriage hunting would seem to be going against the trend but, perhaps because of the economic crisis or perhaps because of the social pressure that still today weighs on those unmarried, especially women, relatively more mature men and women seem to have decided at this point in their lives to roll up their sleeves and find someone to live with.
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Konkatsu@net, a website specialized in konkatsu explains the guidelines for a successful ‘marriage hunting’.
By Flickr user Kalandrakas
『就活』には「会社説明会の参加」や「面接」などの会社との接触だけではなく、「資格を取る」「自分の長所・短所を探す」「情報を集める」「SP対策を行う」といった前段階の活動が含まれますよね。
それと同じように、『婚活』にも様々な活動が含まれます。
男性なら「体を鍛える」「服選びのセンスを磨く」「話題を増やす」「メンズエステに通う」、女性なら「エステやネイルサロンに通う」「料理の勉強や習い事」まで、全てが結婚活動の一部と言えます。
しかし、『婚活』において最も重要な活動は「出会いを増やすこと」です。
Chii, a 37 y.o. office lady tells on her website  of her experience as marriage hunter subscribed to a ‘marriage counseling agency’.
In her introductory lines she explains why she decided to enroll in a konkatsu programme. (In particular, she displays a sense of humour in the page where she analyses and draws a picture of some of the odd characters that the marriage counseling agency introduced her to, and who all disappointed her hopes of finding ‘the one’.
27歳から32歳まで付き合っていた彼氏にまさかの別れを告げられ、その後は「何とかなるか・・・」という気持ちを心の拠り所に独身生活を続けています。
今の職場もかれこれ10年以上勤めているのである意味お局様状態なのですが、私よりも大御所が何人かいるのでプチお局様程度のキャリアです。
そしてこんなままではあの大御所に追いついてしまう！（追い越すことはありませんが・・・）という危機感から、一念発起して『結婚相談所』に入会したという訳です。
[…]
確かに結婚相談所では私の条件に見合った男性を毎月紹介してくれます。
でも・・・、でも違うんです。
データ上の数字（年齢・年収・体型）は合格なんです。
でもでも・・・違うんです。
別に高望みはしません。普通の人でいいのです。
そう・・・普通の人。
Nowadays, advertisements of marriage counseling agencies appear also in the public offices, as Bon lets us know.
区役所で結婚相談という広告が目に入る
戸籍謄本が必要で発行される間、多くの広告が目に入る中で１ヵ月過ぎた先日、ふらっと広告を貰いに
そして、電話してみた
来週、登録へ
But regarding to those kinds of agencies and the phenomenon in general, criticizing words come from a Japanese mother writing in English:
They have got to take interviews and exams to meet their partner?  They have to dress up to pretend like good person?
The people who make up these new words must have a plot.  They try young people to feel rushed to get married and persuade to join the marriage agencies [ja]!
Don’t be deceived, ladies and gentlemen! Don’t be rushed and don’t fake yourself!