Duped lonely hearts claim their pink cherries never blossom

Japan's matchmaking business is thriving, but for every company in the industry, there's a formal complaint made to consumer advocates, Asahi Geino (10/11) notes.

With an estimated membership of 600,000 (60 percent of them men) registered to around 3,900 companies and generating a market said to be around 60 billion yen, the business of introducing prospective lovers is a lucrative one.

But the same business has also provided plenty of work for the National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan, with over 3,400 complaints made about matchmakers last year.

Most of the gripes centered around money problems, but plenty of guys also complained that they were repeatedly introduced to "sakura," deliberate plants paid to fulfill the matchmaking company's obligations to introduce a prospective partner but with no intention of pursuing the sought-after relationship.

A matchmaking industry insider says the business can easily be used to rip-off the unsuspecting lonely.

"This business has no real product. Companies can basically do whatever they like, whether that be using a sakura or actually registering legitimate members. There are loads of photos of beautiful women on the Internet and companies can fill their books with these pictures. If someone does ask for a date with one of these women, the company can simply tell them that she's already seeing someone else and then keep him picking out women until he choose someone who is actually on the books," the insider tells Asahi Geino. "This business doesn't require a license to get involved, so it's really easy for start-ups. You don't need inventory and there're no costs for equipment investment, nor do you need to have an office. In extreme cases, you could start off a matchmaking business simply by having a computer and a photo album."

Of course, there are legitimate matchmakers out there, especially but not exclusively the larger companies. There are also federations for matchmaking businesses, but even these aren't always above board.

"Even if a company can get 100 new members registered in a year, there are still limits on how effective it can be, depending on things like age, or conditions, or what's being sought in an ideal partner," the insider says. "It's become the norm within the industry for companies to swap lists of women members and make them available to men registered with their own firms."

There are plenty of traps in the matchmaking business. Seiro Ohashi, head of the NPO Bridegroom School and an expert on the trade in getting people together, advises caution at all costs.

"Before registering with a matchmaking business, people should check out its website to see whether it's reliable, what sort of results it has achieved and whether it provides services in line with its charges," Ohashi tells Asahi Geino. "Before joining, the client should meet with somebody from the company and talk with them to see whether they're a decent kind of person and if they're capable of getting their job done properly." (By Ryann Connell)

Mainichi Japan October 9, 2007