Mating Season

Streats Pg 17 - April 27 2006
Japan Govt funds speed-dating parties

In a bid to reverse current demographic trends leading towards a shrinking population in Japan, its Government has decided to start funding social gatherings, speed-dating parties to be exact, to encourage Japanese people to find a suitable life-partner, settle down and have kids in order to help the country deal with its problem of a shrinking population.

Many professionals cite the reason that they are too busy with work to even bother dating and most of them are too shy and don't know how to make the first move. Now with such functions available, one no longer has to worry about any of the above issues anymore.

Strategies such as this are not uncommon all across the world. Many companies provide similar services as to what the Japanese Government is funding. However many people still remain quite skeptical about such services

I myself believe in divine appointments and opportunities. I don't believe I should ever resort to setting myself up with dating agencies and their fancy lunch-appointment-dating-games. But if it is going to be able to help the country increase its population and solve the other problems an ageing population and shrinking population brings about then I suppose it is a stepping stone to solving the issue. Let's hope it is not a stepping stone that is on its own.