A growing trend known as "proxy matchmaking," where parents search for marriage partners on behalf of their children, is gaining popularity in Japan.

As an atmosphere against marriage spreads—fueled by a rising tendency among young people to remain unmarried—parents who want their children to tie the knot have taken matters into their own hands to find matches for them.

According to Yomiuri TV today, a survey by Japan's Children and Families Agency showed that 35.1% of unmarried men and women responded that they "have no intention of marrying." Amid this climate, parents in their 50s to 70s are directly stepping into matchmaking venues.

At a proxy matchmaking event held at a hotel in Kyoto in August, about 80% of the participating parents were seniors in their 60s and 70s, while 90% of the children being represented were in their 30s and 40s.

Parents checked the prospective partner's occupation, personality, and views on children through pre-distributed profile booklets, and then conversed with the other parents to closely examine character.

At the venue, a mother in her 50s with a daughter in her 20s told the mother of a 30s engineer son, "My daughter wants to continue working after marriage," to which the opposing mother replied, "It doesn't matter at all. Actually, that's great." Conversations even extended to life "after marriage."

Once an agreement is reached between the parents, they exchange profiles and photos, and then consult with their children to decide whether to proceed with an actual matchmaking meeting.

Behind the parents' decision to step into proxy matchmaking lie realistic worries and expectations, such as wanting their children not to be left alone in old age and to live relying on each other, or wanting their children to achieve independence quickly and see grandchildren.

Additionally, children who feel burdened by dating apps feel greater relief with partners who have passed their parents' preliminary screening, and a preference for efficiency is also playing a role.

Professor Yamada Masahiro of Chuo University (specializing in family sociology) analyzed, "For parents, it provides a sense of satisfaction that they are doing something for their children and an opportunity to boast about them. For the children, because the parents have vetted the partner, they can shorten the procedures for obtaining approval from both families before marriage."

(Photo: Yonhap News)