Analysis of the Japans Support for Konkatsu: Focus on the Prefectural Governments' Support

Abstract

An extraordinary expression appeared in Japan since 2007. With the expression, Japan has been turned into a country wide cheer team for people seeking to get married. The expression had been nominated to the New Word and Catchword Awards of Japan in 2008 and 2009. The expression is konkatsu (婚活, the marriage-seeking activities). Along with the expression and phenomenon appeared in public sectors konkatsu support, this paper overviews the current status of prefectural governments konkatsu support. Having some research questions, which are: marriage is considered as a very private matter, but why Japans prefectural governments are putting efforts to support konkatsu? How does it work? And what can be presented from the prefectural governments konkatsu support? To explain and examine the current status of government sectors support for konkatsu, this paper observed the entire prefectures websites and its actual condition on supporting konkatsu. 43 prefectures out of 47 are conducting konkatsu support. Which divisions are taking the responsibility in conducting konkatsu support, how much budget each prefecture have set, and what kinds of konkatsu support are available were analyzed. This paper took the situation that prefectural governments marriage support as a newly appeared one, and tried to explain what can be implied from the phenomenon. For the result, prefectural governments konkatsu support business is taking the position of matchmaker with cooperation from private sectors (citizens, communities and work places). Also, many prefectures are conducting konkatsu support as a part of Low fertility measure of the central government.