You have moved to Japan, believing that the dating scene here would be excellent and full of new opportunities. You might have been hoping to find the perfect Japanese person for you and things leading to a happy ending or at least some fun for a while. But then…you arrive, realize not a lot of people speak English, their schedules are super busy, and the dating style is a little different than what you’re used to. That’s ok, you’re up for the challenge.

It’s great that you have the right mindset when looking for a relationship but what you might not realize is how much more work can go into it in Japan. A lot of people end up having to put in more legwork than they would if they were living abroad. Dating is already a hard enough process to get through, but shyness combined with language and cultural barriers plus the not-so-little matter of a global pandemic can cause difficulties that make it seem even more stressful.

The good news? There’s plenty of places you can find love online. A quick search online will show you dozens of different (???? online dating) apps, but how do you know what will help you find who or what you’re looking for?

Having been there, done that, We decided to do the testing for you to find out what apps or sites worked best and which didn’t.

Tinder is an app which people use to look for different types of relationships. If you are actively looking for a person to begin a relationship with them, then you will more than likely find someone through this app. You may also find potential friends, networking contacts and activity partners through the Tinder app. I’ve met a whole bunch of people for summer festivals and I can speak from experience when I say that Tinder isn’t just for one type of thing.

Tinder has started giving its global passport to all of its users for free in 2020. This could be a great opportunity for you to connect with people here in Japan, even before you arrive!

One thing to keep in mind about Tinder, I have noticed a large number of users do not show pictures of themselves, or at least no their faces. This is likely because Tinder has a reputation as a hook-up app and they would prefer not to have other people finding out. You’ll find plenty of pictures of food or vacation spots.

2. Bumble

Bumble ‘s goal is to encourage women to make the first contact and if they don’t, then the match expires in 24 hours. This app requires users to have a Facebook profile in order to log-in. This has netted it less popularity in Japan, but more popularity with women because of their “women get to choose” option.

One of the females I spoke to about this app (who found a Japanese partner on it) put it like this: “There are a lot of people on there and most of them aren’t on other dating apps so you don’t get as many fake profiles. Bumble gives you more control over “do I want to bother talking to him” which is great if you’re a girl.

In 2022, the app isn’t just for dating but also for business opportunities and making friends. Bumble allows you to switch quickly between features and build a social circle using the app. It’s really versatile and great for people around the world to use.

3. OkCupid Japan

OkCupid’s Japanese version is known for it’s advanced level of detail compared to other dating apps, and the average person spends 45 minutes filling out their profile. Leaving your profile blank may seem like a good idea at first, but it mainly leads to you to staying unnoticed. So remember: it’s important to make your account as rich as possible. Some people who use it say “OkCupid has a lot of repeat daters, so the quality of matches may be lower for those using other dating apps..”