Many countries around the world are suffering from declining birth rates, one of which is Japan. It seems that to solve this, the Japanese government has some solutions. One of these is a Studio Ghibli-themed matchmaking event which drew in a bigger response than expected.
Announced back in August, this matchmaking event is unique as it is themed around Studio Ghibli, one of Japan’s most iconic anime studios.
The Japanese Government’s Surprising Solution to the Declining Birth Rate
Japan is noted for having one of the lowest birth rates in the world. In a report by World Population Review, Japan has the fourth lowest birth rate globally, just behind Andorra, South Korea, and Monaco.
To solve this, the Japanese government is keen on trying out different solutions for it, including doubling childcare spending by 2030. There is another, more interesting solution though, and that is a matchmaking event.
Back in August, the Aichi Prefectural Government announced a matchmaking event that will happen in October at Ghibli Park.
During this event, participants will be split into groups consisting of three men and three women. These groups will then go on a scavenger hunt for Studio Ghibli art pieces around Ghibli Park.
Applications for the matchmaking event were open from August 1 to September 18, 2023. Given the capacity of the park though, there are only 400 slots in the event.
Recently, the number of applications was revealed, and they blew expectations out of the water.
This makes sense given how popular Studio Ghibli is in Japan, with films such as Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke being iconic anime works in the country.
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Studio Ghibli Matchmaking Event Flooded With Participants
Only 400 slots are available, but the event drew in over 2,000 applications that were split between 1,175 men and 1,074 women.
In response, one of the officials in charge of the event remarked that this result “shows that people are looking for a chance to find a romantic partner.”
This can be seen as good news for the Japanese government given the country’s struggles with a declining birth rate.
After all, people choosing not to get married due to work commitments is often said to be one of the reasons for the birth rate decline.
Matchmaking events like these aren’t new in Japan, but having a themed event like this makes it unique. Thus, other local government units in Japan may try to do something similar.
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Source: Mainichi Shimbun via SoraNews24
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