YYC has been around for 20 years according to its website and still lists itself as the largest dating service in Japan. When you join, you get 300 points to share with others – that help you find a match to connect with your personal preferences. A huge portion of the YYC service’s users are young professionals. YYC is a dating site designed for people who are into blogging and being an influencer and you might find it more of an annoyance than a help if you don’t constantly update or message. “Casual players always come and go after a free trial. Use this as an indication that it isn’t the site for you if you aren’t ready to commit to the effort,” said one user.
None of the ladies I spoke with used YYC, so I decided to try it out and I was pleasantly surprised. It is a bit repetitive but as long as you have Japanese skills it’s easy enough to navigate.
9. Pairs
You may see ads in apps, TV and train commercials since the launched. Pairs will also use your Facebook profile to login and gather some information, but it lets your hide your full name, allowing users to be identified by initials instead. Their main audience generally tends to be younger Japanese guys, “so there are plenty of guys to choose from, but those that are interested in pursuing a serious relationship with a non-native Japanese speaker are harder to find, at least in my experience,” according to a user.
“It has changed a bit since it launched, but nothing really outstanding has changed about the quality of the people using the app,” says the same person as above in 2022. “I still use it occasionally, and you can find someone nice, but I find it more work than some other apps out there now.”
10. Zexy Koimusubi
Zexy Koimusubi is a dating app that’s part of an even bigger wedding services company in Japan. It works on the same principles of matching people based on shared interests and uses your Facebook profile to do it, but other than that it seems to work a little differently. It’s hard to say why there are so many weddings popping up on this app, but I know of at least four people who met their partner through it way. Two of my friends went on dates with someone they met and ended up tying the knot.
“I met my husband on this site, so of course I would recommend it to anyone who is serious about getting married, having kids, and staying in Japan. It does work if you’re brutally honest with yourself about what you’re looking for. If you’re still trying to figure it out- best of luck!” (erican, 31)
11. Bonus App-Happy Mail
The website Happy Mail is said to have the most members of any dating app in Japan. There are just over 25 million people on Happy Mail, looking for everything from pen pals https://datingranking.net/de/latin-dating-sites/ to serious marriage partners, and they continue to grow more than 20 years after they began in 2001.
Based on the experiences of a few genders, it seems similar to Pairs but more like Tinder in terms of matching. There are different options for how you want to approach dating in 2022; this app isn’t for everyone
Fees: Free for women (plus a 120 coin present as some services require points), points/pay as you go fees for men
You may have a tough time finding someone on Japanese “serious” dating apps that you actually consider dating. This is because most of them require an ID photo after paying. The main goal of these apps is to find out if a person is suitable for marry. If that’s your goal, don’t mind the extra steps! Good luck in finding the best for yourself!
In the 2022 dating scene, OkCupid is still popular but there are many fake accounts and a lot of users that never bother to follow up. So unless you’re very determined to use it, you’ll probably have less trouble on other apps.