[April Dream] Births at a 10-year low, 76% of unmarried people have no partner. Changing 'Japan, the country where you can't get married' from the front lines of a marriage agency.
Bridal Salon HISAYO, a Kyoto-based marriage agency, is addressing Japan's declining birthrate and marriage rates by moving beyond traditional matchmaking. Through personalized support and new initiatives like restaurant-based matchmaking and online communities, they aim to reach 1,000 successful marriages and foster a society where everyone can form a family.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 1, 2026 at 09:40
- 🔍 Collected: April 1, 2026 at 01:00
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: June 2, 2026 at 13:02 (1500h 1m after Collected)
We support 'April Dream,' an initiative that aims to make April 1st a day to share dreams.
This press release is the dream of the Kyoto-based marriage agency 'Bridal Salon HISAYO' (Representative: Hisayo Matsumura).
■ 'Marriage' in Japan is quietly beginning to break down.
The number of births in 2025 was 705,809.
For the 10th consecutive year, this is a record low, and the decline in the birthrate is progressing 17 years faster than the government's future projections (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, 'Vital Statistics Preliminary Report').
The number of marriages was 505,656, recovering to the 500,000 mark for the first time in three years, but it is still the third-lowest figure in the postwar era.
The lifetime non-marriage rate has reached 28.3% for men and 17.8% for women, and it is estimated that by 2040, one in three men and one in five women will remain unmarried for life.
Even more serious is the reality that 76% of unmarried people do not have a romantic partner.
It is not that they 'cannot get married even if they want to,' but rather that 'there are no opportunities to meet.' Japan is now quietly becoming a 'country where you cannot get married.'
■ Why the 109.4 billion yen matching app market is failing to increase marriages.
The market size for matching apps as a means of 'konkatsu' (marriage hunting) has expanded to 109.4 billion yen.
However, the marriage success rate is only between 2% and 17%.
Survey results show that 57.6% of users have had 'unpleasant experiences,' and about 64% of people in their 30s and 40s feel 'disadvantaged due to their age.'
Technology has explosively increased the 'quantity' of encounters. However, it lacks the mechanism to support the 'final step'—from matching to dating, and from dating to marriage. Even if an algorithm can measure compatibility, it cannot provide support for human anxiety. We are convinced, after 29 years on the front lines of a marriage agency, that what is needed for marriage is not the 'number of options,' but the 'power of someone walking alongside you.'
■ A 79.1% success rate. The 'power of people' at a marriage agency that has created 430 families.
Bridal Salon HISAYO is a marriage agency with its own building in Shijo, Kyoto.
Its original starting point was the counter of 'Waraiya,' a yakitori restaurant where representative Hisayo Matsumura served as the proprietress.
As she sensed 'connections' between customers and naturally created opportunities for conversation, reports of marriages began to arrive one after another.
Since opening the marriage agency in 1999, we have consistently maintained the stance of 'facing the person in front of us with sincerity.'
・Marriage success rate: 79.1% (2025 results; marriage is defined as engagement)
・Marriage achievements: Over 430 couples (cumulative from 2013 to 2025)
・National awards: Over 50 times (IBJ Award for 5 consecutive years, TMS Hall of Fame for 4 consecutive years, BIU Hall of Fame)
・Member of the three major federations: IBJ, TMS, and BIU
Utilizing one of the nation's largest member networks, we provide unique counseling methods based on psychology, as well as total production ranging from accompanying members on dates to fashion and makeup advice.
We believe this 'excessively attentive support' is the essential value of a marriage agency that apps cannot replicate.
■ Dream 1: 1,000 successful marriages. Lowering the hurdles to marriage through an 'ecosystem of encounters.'
The threshold for marriage agencies is still high. The image of it being a 'last resort' keeps away the people who truly need it. To change this structure, Bridal Salon HISAYO has built an 'ecosystem of encounters' that goes beyond the framework of a marriage agency.
・Restaurant subscription matchmaking 'Ankyoto': A casual place to meet starting from 3,300 yen per month at 20 restaurant locations nationwide.
・Online matchmaking community 'An-An': Releasing in February 2026. A new community-based approach to matchmaking that eliminates the anxiety of meeting one-on-one immediately.
・Brand renewal for the first time in about 13 years: Completely refreshing the logo and official website to project a new image of a marriage agency.
Restaurants × Online × Marriage Agency. By diversifying the entry points, we provide the first step for those who 'want to get married but don't know where to start.' Beyond that lies the future of 1,000 successful marriages.
■ Dream 2: Toward a society where everyone can have a 'family' in their own way.
Japan is the only G7 country that has not legalized same-sex marriage. Although the population coverage of partnership systems has exceeded 93%, legal marriage equality has not been realized.
Bridal Salon HISAYO representative Hisayo Matsumura, as the Representative Director of the Japan LGBT Support Association, has conducted LGBTQ+ training for over 250 marriage agencies nationwide.
At Tokyo Rainbow Pride, she marched alongside 40 fellow matchmakers.
In addition, she has been involved in government measures against the declining birthrate for eight years as a Kyoto Prefecture matchmaking advisor, and is currently a member of the Kyoto Prefecture Child-rearing Environment Promotion Council.
A society where everyone can choose a partnership that is true to themselves, regardless of gender, age, or sexuality.
That cannot be achieved by systems alone. There are things that can only be done by matchmakers at marriage agencies who stand by each individual on the front lines.
■ Comment from Representative Hisayo Matsumura
'With births at a 10-year low and 76% of unmarried people having no partner, looking at these numbers, I feel strongly as someone in the marriage agency business that there must be more we can do. 29 years ago, when I connected customers at the counter of my yakitori restaurant, I learned the potential of the "power of people." No matter how much technology evolves, the value of people genuinely wishing for the happiness of others and walking alongside them does not change. 1,000 successful marriages. And a society where everyone, including LGBTQ+ individuals, can have a family. By holding up these two dreams, I will change "marriage" in Japan from the front lines of the marriage agency.'
■ About Bridal Salon HISAYO
A marriage agency with a 29-year history, based in its own building in Shijo, Kyoto. It is a member of the three major federations (IBJ, TMS, BIU) and utilizes one of the nation's largest member networks. It achieves a 79.1% marriage success rate through unique psychology-based counseling and hands-on support. It is also engaged in creating encounters beyond the framework of a marriage agency, such as the restaurant subscription matchmaking service 'Ankyoto' and the online matchmaking community 'An-An.'
Name: Bridal Salon HISAYO
Representative: Hisayo Matsumura
Address: Waraiya 3F, 42 Tokushoji-cho, Tominokoji-dori Shijo-sagaru, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto 600-8051
Established: 1999
Official Website: https://salon-hisayo.jp/
Ankyoto: https://ankyoto.jp/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hisayokonkatsu/
Inquiries regarding this matter:
Waraiya 3F, 42 Tokushoji-cho, Tominokoji-dori Shijo-sagaru, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto
Representative: Hisayo Matsumura
(Direct line): 090-8376-8919
This press release is the dream of the Kyoto-based marriage agency 'Bridal Salon HISAYO' (Representative: Hisayo Matsumura).
■ 'Marriage' in Japan is quietly beginning to break down.
The number of births in 2025 was 705,809.
For the 10th consecutive year, this is a record low, and the decline in the birthrate is progressing 17 years faster than the government's future projections (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, 'Vital Statistics Preliminary Report').
The number of marriages was 505,656, recovering to the 500,000 mark for the first time in three years, but it is still the third-lowest figure in the postwar era.
The lifetime non-marriage rate has reached 28.3% for men and 17.8% for women, and it is estimated that by 2040, one in three men and one in five women will remain unmarried for life.
Even more serious is the reality that 76% of unmarried people do not have a romantic partner.
It is not that they 'cannot get married even if they want to,' but rather that 'there are no opportunities to meet.' Japan is now quietly becoming a 'country where you cannot get married.'
■ Why the 109.4 billion yen matching app market is failing to increase marriages.
The market size for matching apps as a means of 'konkatsu' (marriage hunting) has expanded to 109.4 billion yen.
However, the marriage success rate is only between 2% and 17%.
Survey results show that 57.6% of users have had 'unpleasant experiences,' and about 64% of people in their 30s and 40s feel 'disadvantaged due to their age.'
Technology has explosively increased the 'quantity' of encounters. However, it lacks the mechanism to support the 'final step'—from matching to dating, and from dating to marriage. Even if an algorithm can measure compatibility, it cannot provide support for human anxiety. We are convinced, after 29 years on the front lines of a marriage agency, that what is needed for marriage is not the 'number of options,' but the 'power of someone walking alongside you.'
■ A 79.1% success rate. The 'power of people' at a marriage agency that has created 430 families.
Bridal Salon HISAYO is a marriage agency with its own building in Shijo, Kyoto.
Its original starting point was the counter of 'Waraiya,' a yakitori restaurant where representative Hisayo Matsumura served as the proprietress.
As she sensed 'connections' between customers and naturally created opportunities for conversation, reports of marriages began to arrive one after another.
Since opening the marriage agency in 1999, we have consistently maintained the stance of 'facing the person in front of us with sincerity.'
・Marriage success rate: 79.1% (2025 results; marriage is defined as engagement)
・Marriage achievements: Over 430 couples (cumulative from 2013 to 2025)
・National awards: Over 50 times (IBJ Award for 5 consecutive years, TMS Hall of Fame for 4 consecutive years, BIU Hall of Fame)
・Member of the three major federations: IBJ, TMS, and BIU
Utilizing one of the nation's largest member networks, we provide unique counseling methods based on psychology, as well as total production ranging from accompanying members on dates to fashion and makeup advice.
We believe this 'excessively attentive support' is the essential value of a marriage agency that apps cannot replicate.
■ Dream 1: 1,000 successful marriages. Lowering the hurdles to marriage through an 'ecosystem of encounters.'
The threshold for marriage agencies is still high. The image of it being a 'last resort' keeps away the people who truly need it. To change this structure, Bridal Salon HISAYO has built an 'ecosystem of encounters' that goes beyond the framework of a marriage agency.
・Restaurant subscription matchmaking 'Ankyoto': A casual place to meet starting from 3,300 yen per month at 20 restaurant locations nationwide.
・Online matchmaking community 'An-An': Releasing in February 2026. A new community-based approach to matchmaking that eliminates the anxiety of meeting one-on-one immediately.
・Brand renewal for the first time in about 13 years: Completely refreshing the logo and official website to project a new image of a marriage agency.
Restaurants × Online × Marriage Agency. By diversifying the entry points, we provide the first step for those who 'want to get married but don't know where to start.' Beyond that lies the future of 1,000 successful marriages.
■ Dream 2: Toward a society where everyone can have a 'family' in their own way.
Japan is the only G7 country that has not legalized same-sex marriage. Although the population coverage of partnership systems has exceeded 93%, legal marriage equality has not been realized.
Bridal Salon HISAYO representative Hisayo Matsumura, as the Representative Director of the Japan LGBT Support Association, has conducted LGBTQ+ training for over 250 marriage agencies nationwide.
At Tokyo Rainbow Pride, she marched alongside 40 fellow matchmakers.
In addition, she has been involved in government measures against the declining birthrate for eight years as a Kyoto Prefecture matchmaking advisor, and is currently a member of the Kyoto Prefecture Child-rearing Environment Promotion Council.
A society where everyone can choose a partnership that is true to themselves, regardless of gender, age, or sexuality.
That cannot be achieved by systems alone. There are things that can only be done by matchmakers at marriage agencies who stand by each individual on the front lines.
■ Comment from Representative Hisayo Matsumura
'With births at a 10-year low and 76% of unmarried people having no partner, looking at these numbers, I feel strongly as someone in the marriage agency business that there must be more we can do. 29 years ago, when I connected customers at the counter of my yakitori restaurant, I learned the potential of the "power of people." No matter how much technology evolves, the value of people genuinely wishing for the happiness of others and walking alongside them does not change. 1,000 successful marriages. And a society where everyone, including LGBTQ+ individuals, can have a family. By holding up these two dreams, I will change "marriage" in Japan from the front lines of the marriage agency.'
■ About Bridal Salon HISAYO
A marriage agency with a 29-year history, based in its own building in Shijo, Kyoto. It is a member of the three major federations (IBJ, TMS, BIU) and utilizes one of the nation's largest member networks. It achieves a 79.1% marriage success rate through unique psychology-based counseling and hands-on support. It is also engaged in creating encounters beyond the framework of a marriage agency, such as the restaurant subscription matchmaking service 'Ankyoto' and the online matchmaking community 'An-An.'
Name: Bridal Salon HISAYO
Representative: Hisayo Matsumura
Address: Waraiya 3F, 42 Tokushoji-cho, Tominokoji-dori Shijo-sagaru, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto 600-8051
Established: 1999
Official Website: https://salon-hisayo.jp/
Ankyoto: https://ankyoto.jp/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hisayokonkatsu/
Inquiries regarding this matter:
Waraiya 3F, 42 Tokushoji-cho, Tominokoji-dori Shijo-sagaru, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto
Representative: Hisayo Matsumura
(Direct line): 090-8376-8919