Meiji Yasuda Research Institute’s Survey on Romance and Marriage has found that 76.3%, or more than three in four unmarried people, say they are not in a relationship, up from the previous survey in 2023.
Interest in romance and relationships is also declining, with fewer people expressing a desire to get married. Women cited “not feeling the need to get married,” while men cited “less disposable income.”
The survey was conducted online from December 12-21, 2025, targeting 8,872 men and women aged 18-54 nationwide (3,909 married and 4,963 unmarried).
While we often take issue with the foreign media’s portrayal of “sexless Japan” as another variant on the old “wacky Japan” narrative, these are finding from decent data that we should take seriously, though are also in line with trends in many other industrialized nations, where young people are dating less and showing lower interest in sex, despite (or perhaps because of) the ubiquity of porn and online dating.
Regarding views on marriage, 36.8% of unmarried respondents said they want to get married, a 10.5-point decrease from the previous survey. When asked why they wanted to get married, the most common answers for both men and women were “I want to live with someone I love” and “I want someone who can support me.”
The most common reason for not wanting to get married was “I don’t feel the need” for women, while for men it revealed a more pragmatic mindset: “I think it would reduce my disposable income.” Men and women also differed in their attitudes toward the division of household chores after marriage. Male lack of participation in running the household is a common theme among women’s complaints, with wives generally taking on the vast majority of chores and duties of housework and parenting.
On the other hand, 47.2% of respondents said they would consider marriage if they found the right partner, a slight increase from the 2023 survey’s 43.9%. It suggests a growing tendency to consider marriage as an extension of romance.
Face-to-face meetings remain the most common way to meet, with “introductions from acquaintances,” “workplace,” and “drinking parties and group dates” dominating. Among those aged 25-34, matchmaking/dating apps accounted for 30%, which is actually much lower than we would expect.
Feeling ghosted or ignored can cause tension in a new couple. The ideal frequency of contact for both men and women was about once a day, according to respondents, and the ideal date was “about once a week,” suggesting a tendency to seek a moderate level of distance, but also suggests that people are busy with work and other leisure activities.
When it came to sharing the cost of dates (another source of tension at times), women were more likely to want to split the bill (though this may not be the case for older women), while men were more likely to “pay more.”
The use of technology such as generative AI is also on the rise. Young people are increasingly turning to generative AI for advice on love and work-related concerns, with one in three 18-28 year-olds using it.
Supporting your fan (oshi) is prevalent among young people, with over half having provided financial support through merchandise purchases or tips. This is often seen by specialists as an affective relationship similar to romance.
Meiji Yasuda Research Institute said: “The trend away from romance is becoming more widespread. This is due to women’s increasing social independence and, in particular, an increasing number of women who are no longer fixated on marriage through romance. This is also reflected in the splitting of bills in light of inflation and the division of household chores after marriage. It appears that the gender gap from the traditional perspective is narrowing, with women becoming more resilient while men want a reliable partner.”
