Actress from Japan (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Here is the quick list of the top five dating sites in Japan. I’ll go into more detail in my reviews later in this article.
Japan has quite a few dating sites and apps that are worthwhile and have a decent number of members. If you are determined to find a Japanese sweetheart, you definitely can succeed. You will have to work hard and prepare for the inevitable rejections, but that is a small price to pay for having a cute Japanese woman on your arm one day.
Should you decide to sign up for the online dating sites I recommend below, be sure to read member profiles carefully as you might come across a lot of fake profiles.
Usually, I can spot these profiles pretty easily. A woman who has only one picture posted, is wearing a tight bikini and making an overly suggestive pose are usually clear signals to steer clear. Another clue of a pretender is a woman who has a poorly written profile. As a general rule of thumb, the more boring the profile, the more boring the person.
Japanese Actress (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Without further ado, here are my detailed reviews of the top five dating sites and apps in Japan.
JapanCupid is the best dating site in Japan. If I only had money to spend on one site, this is the site that I would spend it on. If you do a search of women in Tokyo between the ages of 18 and 35 who have been active on the site within the last 3 months, you will find over 750 active profiles.
Japan Cupid
Japan Cupid went live in 2005, as a niche dating website under the Cupid Media Network. As part of this network of over 30 niche dating sites, JapanCupid benefits from a simple, clean website design and useful, battle-tested features.
Due to its targeted niche, JapanCupid is not as large of a service as other Asian dating sites (e.g. AsianDating), and finding English-speaking members seems more difficult here than on other niche sites. But with JapanCupid’s handy message translation tool at your side, you won’t have too much trouble. Overall, if you’re looking for a Japanese match, you’ll benefit from using this site.
Sign up Process
You could be signed up and chatting with JapanCupid singles in the time it took you to read that last paragraph. Begin with your name, gender, email and a password, or sync up your Facebook account.
To finish, fill out a brief About Me section, describe your ideal partner, and your sign-up is complete. At this point, you can either finish filling out the rest of your profile, or you can get to searching for matches. If you decide to move forward with an unfinished profile, know that you’ll be asked at times to fill out more of your profile before moving forward.
How to Locate Potential Matches
There are two possible search options for finding a match: searching and browsing. You can narrow down your search to a more manageable number by specifying criteria such as age, location, education, marital status, religion, and even their star sign.
JapanCupid will also recommend potential matches to you, based on the criteria you specified when signing up. You can browse both these recommended matches and your own searches in different ways, with different options for how much of each profile you will see, and how they are sorted (Newest Members, Photos Only, etc.)
How to Communicate with Other Members
If you’re looking to actually communicate with other members on JapanCupid, you’ll need to upgrade to a Gold/Premium membership. Communication options are limited as a Standard member. You can message freely with premium members, but, between other Standard members, you’re limited to “showing interest”, sending blocked, unreadable messages, and adding profiles to your favorites. None of these features lead to conversation, unless of course one of you upgrades to Gold or Platinum.
Once you do bite the bullet and pay, you are well rewarded, with Instant Messaging, audio, and even video chat available to you. With these options, you can communicate with any member.
Unique Site Features
JapanCupid has a number of unique features that contribute to this site’s ease of use and power in matching you with compatible profiles. First off is the detailed personal profile, packed with opportunities to differentiate yourself from the pack and ensure that JapanCupid’s recommended matches will be just what you’re looking for.
Next, there are powerful and varied search features to help you narrow down your search for a perfect match. Finally, the anti-spam measures are excellent, ensuring that all the profiles you connect with are genuine.
What is Included in Each Membership Level
- Standard – Create profile, upload multiple photos, browse, search, and send interest to profiles, communicate with paying members
- Gold – All of the above, plus: Communicate with all members, audio/video chat, Instant Messaging, ad-free browsing, anonymous browsing
- Platinum – All of the above, plus: Rank above other members in searches, doubled profile space, VIP profile highlighting, Platinum-exclusive search features, advanced matching algorithms, message translation
Dating is a Numbers Game
As I mention in my book, just like the real world, there will be men or women who you will not click with or who don’t respond to your messages (or just disappear). There will be men or women who might only be interested in helping you to part with your hard-earned cash. That is life. Just keep sending out messages and reach out until you find the person you are looking for and get success.
As is typical with online dating, expect a response rate of around 1-10% depending on how good your profile is. (response rate = people who will respond back to you to whom you sent an introduction message).
Bumble
As another option, I recommend you sign up for Bumble. I did a full review of Bumble here.
Pairs
Pairs is one of the most popular dating apps in Japan and has grown a lot in a short period of time. Easy to navigate, singles can search other users and like each other leading to further discussion and possible romance. Pairs has been most popular among the younger generation and has been used for casual dating and hookups as well as love and serious relationships.
Sign up Process
Users can sign up through their Facebook account or their mobile phone. You can fill out basic information and what you’re looking for in your match and write up to 1,000 words about yourself.
However, if you just want to upload a photo and not fill out any other profile information, that is fine, too. The app is very flexible in what you can and cannot do, and its layout is organized. After you are done, Pairs will verify your account. Once verified, you can start searching.
A huge bonus of using Pairs is that they use an AI biometrics system to verify each user’s identity. After uploading profile photos from your camera roll, the AI system will scan your face in real-time to determine that you are the same person in your photos. This weeds out a majority of the bots and spam accounts that might otherwise linger on the app.
How to Locate Potential Matches
Using the Discover tab, you can search for what you are looking for in your desired mate. You can filter the results by how far away they are away from you, their age, what type of relationship they want, and more.
After you filter your results, the app will show you all matches nearby in your regional range. It will also show you pictures of singles, and you can choose whether to like them or not.
To see further information about another member, just click on their photo. Matches are displayed based on your mutual friends that you have on Facebook.
Pairs has a limit on how many males or females you can like per day and in total before you run out of likes. You can send up to five likes per day, and you get a total of 30 likes. However, once you purchase a membership, you can send unlimited likes.
How to Communicate with Other Members
Unfortunately, Pairs doesn’t allow men who use the free version of the app to send or receive messages. Only women and paid users can unlock the communication features, which is kind of a big deal if you’re trying to make a connection or set up a date.
those who upgrade to a premium account can send unlimited messages and even video chat their matches. You can click the “Matches” tab to view your matches to message, or the “Messages” tab to see your existing messages.
Unique App Features
There’s a reason Pairs is one of the leading dating apps in Japan — the app has many unique capabilities that make finding the one a safe and fun process.
- Free for women — Pairs loves the ladies. They offer free premium features to women who join the app.
- Community — With the Community feature, Pairs makes it easy to find a partner that shares a niche interest with you. Users can join community forums based on their interests and chat with other members who share their love.
- Group Video Chat — Found a group of people in your community that you’d like to know better? Up to 8 people can join a group video chat. Once the video chat ends, you’ll be able to message any of the members individually.
- Footprints — The Footprints feature gives you the ability to see who has been viewing your profile.
- AI biometrics — This one’s worth mentioning again because it’s that cool. AI biometrics is a revolutionary system that scans your photos and your face to verify your identity.
What is Included in Each Membership Level
Male members on the app will have to dish out some money if they want to be able to send or receive messages, but there are a couple of different ways to go about it. You can simply purchase coins individually which can be redeemed for messages, or upgrade to Premium membership.
Pairs Premium membership includes:
- Messaging capabilities
- Community chat
- Group video chat
- Footprints
Omiai
Omiai is a Japanese dating app mainly intended for people serious about relationships. The origin of the name relates to the concept of an arranged marriage. Many users are in their early 30s looking to settle down, meaning it’s not a dating app for users to hook up or for tourists to have a casual fling. However, it could be ideal if you live in Japan and want a serious relationship.
Sign up Process
To register, download the Omiai app and then login using your Facebook account. You will need to fill out basic profile information, such as name, age, and gender, and then fill out more advanced and detailed options such as income, body type, education, and nationality.
You will also have the opportunity to fill out what you are looking for in your ideal mate. The verification process is strict and is monitored every 24 hours to prevent fake profiles from being added.
How to Locate Potential Matches
You can search other profiles by setting up your filters to narrow down what you are looking for. You can filter by age, region, gender, and much more (see unique app features below).
You can also see when users last logged in, so you aren’t sending messages to someone who no longer is an active user. Some users have found the site a bit complicated to navigate, and you must know the Japanese language in order to use the app as it is purely in Japanese.
How to Communicate with Other Members
Messaging is free for women, but men must pay for an account in order to communicate with women. This gives women more of a guarantee that men are serious about dating.
Unique App Features
The best feature is Omiai’s filter option. You have the ability to zero in on what you are looking for in your match. You can filter by income, body type, education, hobbies, and so much more.
In all, there are 24 different areas you can filter by, including nationality; so if you are Japanese looking for an American man or woman in Japan, you can do that.
Omiai is strict with fake profiles. They have 24-hour security on the site, and all profiles must go through a strict photo verification process before being approved. Omiai also participates in the “Marriage and Marriage Support Project” which aims to match singles and increase the marriage rate in Japan.
What is Included in Each Membership Level
By buying a premium membership, you can do the following:
- See if your match read your message
- Send gifts to matches you are interested in
- You can match and message other members
Omiai is strictly intended for those living in Japan or in Japanese regions around the world. It gets high marks for distancing itself from other Japanese apps that are targeted strictly for casual dating.
Omiai wants to pair people up for the long term and help them find their future soulmate. By providing lots of profile details and strict filters, it hopes to accomplish this.
Tapple
Designed by a famous IT company in Japan, CyberAgent, Tapple is a dating app that matches users based on their hobbies. Instead of filling out a profile or swiping to find other users, you are uniquely matched based on common interests such as cooking, movies or sports.
According to data released by Tapple, 7,200 people find lovers through Tapple each month, while 4,500 users register each day. With over 5 million registered members, Tapple has boasted a total of over 2 billion matches, making it one of the largest sites in Japan.
If you are looking to visit Japan, plan to move to Japan, or are already living in Japan, Tapple might be a great option to find new connections or meet your future partner.
Sign up Process
To sign up for Tapple, you will need to do so in either Chinese or Japanese. It is possible to sign up with your email or Facebook.
Your next step is to outline your name, birth date, and gender as well as a few other questions in Japanese or Chinese. Finally, choose a password, agree to the terms, and upload a photo.
How to Locate Potential Matches
On Tapple you do not choose your own matches, but rather select hobbies and interests in order to be matched with other members. Although it will be in Japanese or Chinese, there are photos to help you select these hobbies and interests.
Choose from options such as social media, playing instruments, concerts, playing games, watching television, art, fashion, exercise, cooking, or eating. You must choose at least five to continue.
The next section is the subcategories. Some of these are in English, but you can also use a translation app if you would like to do this more accurately.
On your home screen, you will then be able to view other members who have selected the same hobbies or interests as you, and swipe left to pass, or right to show interest.
How to Communicate with Other Members
After sending likes to other members, you will need to wait to be matched in return. As a woman, you will need to wait to be sent a message, but as a man, you will have to pay in order to send that message to a woman who has sent you a “like”.
Unique App Features
Match based on hobbies: Whether you are interested in cooking, sports, or Youtube, you can connect with other singles that are interested in that too.
Special Picks: Each day you will be given four special picks who match your hobbies and interests. You can decide if you want to send one of them a free super like.
Outing function: This function allows you 24 hours to speak regarding a common interest or hobby, and expects you to meet within that 24-hour period. If you do not fulfill your outing, the conversation will be deleted.
What is Included in Each Membership Level
There are two options for memberships on Tapple, either the free plan or paid plan. As a woman, the entire site is actually free, but as a man, you must pay monthly to send any messages.
Choose one month, three months, six months or one year at a time. The price will gradually decrease per month the more you purchase at one time.
Although Tapple is free for everyone to sign up and match, the only way to actually speak to another single, or meet for an outing, is if the man pays to send the woman a message. Without one member being on a paid level, there will be no messaging, only matching.
Further Reading
Worldwide Online Dating Site Reviews: Be sure to check out my country-by-country reviews of the best online dating sites in the world.
Worldwide Moving Guide: Everything you need to know in order to plan your move to 65+ countries around the world.
Worldwide Jobs Guide: If you are interested in working in this country, be sure to check out my posts on how to find jobs in this country and other countries around the world.
Worldwide Apartments Guide: If you are interested in renting an apartment in another country, take a look at my articles on how to find an apartment in various countries around the world.
About Addison Sears-Collins
Hey! I'm Addison Sears-Collins, the founder of Visa Hunter. You can learn more about me here. Connect with me by liking my fan page on Facebook, connecting with me on Twitter, or check out my website Automatic Addison where I build robots and embedded systems.
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