a crowd of people at an event to illustrate proxy matchmaking event

Global Love Report – June 9, 2021
A review article by Pamela Stephanie


Proxy matchmaking or omiai events held for parents with unmarried adult children has happened in Japan since 2005. These events are specifically geared for parents with unmarried children who wish to find a match for their child.

The organizers of these proxy matchmaking events assign the parents a number when they register. And each parent holds a “roster” that lists each person’s number along with basic information about the person’s child. The information includes, age, height, hobbies, marital history, and details on their ideal partner.

Parents speak to other parents to exchange information regarding their own child. After a conversation describing each child, the parents who feel their son and daughter would be a good match will exchange personal information called “personal statements”. These include the child’s name, photograph, as well as their contact information.

One reason why some parents attend these proxy matchmaking events is because they believe that information exchanged on the internet may not be real. So, they believe that online matchmaking may not work out. In fact, one parent stated he felt safe at the event because he could hear from other parents.

These events are held by the Association of Parents of Marriage Proposal Information. They have held over 500 of these events throughout Japan since 2005 with 40,000 participants. The organizers hold these events because they believe that while people know their own good qualities, they may be blind to their bad qualities. They believe parents are more objective and can speak honestly about their child’s bad qualities.

Please read the full article to know more about these proxy matchmaking events. Click here to read more.

Original article written by The Mainichi.


(Image source: Unsplash, Brit Gaiser)