Gender Ratio in Marriage-Hunting Market Reverses in Five Years, Men Now Account for 54%. IBJ Launches "Support Project for Marriage-Hunting Women" in Collaboration with Over 4,700 Agencies Nationwide
Key facts
- Gender Ratio in Marriage-Hunting Market Reverses in Five Years, Men Now Account for 54%. IBJ Launches "Support Project for Marriage-Hunting Women" in Collaboration with Over 4,700 Agencies Nationwide
- Following a reversal in the gender ratio of the marriage-hunting market over the last five years, where men now make up 54% of members, IBJ is running the "Support Project for Marriage-Hunting Women" from June 1 to August 31, 2026, to help create an environment where women can actively lead their own matchmaking activities.
- Source: PR Times
- Date: June 10, 2026
Direct answer
Following a reversal in the gender ratio of the marriage-hunting market over the last five years, where men now make up 54% of members, IBJ is running the "Support Project for Marriage-Hunting Women" from June 1 to August 31, 2026, to help create an environment where women can actively lead their own matchmaking activities.
- Citation
- Gender Ratio in Marriage-Hunting Market Reverses in Five Years, Men Now Account for 54%. IBJ Launches "Support Project for Marriage-Hunting Women" in Collaboration with Over 4,700 Agencies Nationwide (June 10, 2026), PR Times
- Source
- PR Times
- Date
- June 10, 2026
Following a reversal in the gender ratio of the marriage-hunting market over the last five years, where men now make up 54% of members, IBJ is running the "Support Project for Marriage-Hunting Women" from June 1 to August 31, 2026, to help create an environment where women can actively lead their own matchmaking activities.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: June 10, 2026 at 19:46
- 🔍 Collected: June 10, 2026 at 11:06
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: June 10, 2026 at 11:08 (2 min after Collected)
IBJ, Inc. (Representative Director and President: Kenjiro Tsuchiya, Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, TSE Prime: 6071, hereafter "IBJ"), the company that generates the most marriages in Japan, has launched the "Support Project for Marriage-Hunting Women" to assist female members through their activities from meeting potential partners to marriage. This project collaborates with consenting agencies among IBJ's network of over 4,700 marriage consulting offices across Japan to support women during the meeting, active, and dating phases of their marriage hunting. The project will run from June 1, 2026, to August 31, 2026.
Background: Gender Ratio Reversal in Five Years. Moving Toward an Environment Where Women Lead.
While IBJ boasts the largest number of members as a marriage consulting platform in Japan, its membership composition has changed significantly over the past five years.
At the end of 2020, men accounted for 46% and women for 54%. Since then, the number of male members has continued to grow, and the gender ratio reversed in 2024. As of the end of 2025, men accounted for 54% and women for 46%, indicating significant changes in the environment of the marriage-hunting market over the past few years.
We are shifting from the old stereotype of "women being the ones chosen" to a market environment where women can proactively "choose their own partners" (expanding their options). Furthermore, in recent marriage-hunting activities, there is an increase in women who value their own values and lifestyles and who pursue marriage independently.
IBJ is responding to these changes by promoting this project to support the activities of women who wish to marry and to maximize opportunities for meetings and marriages.
Project Overview
The "Support Project for Marriage-Hunting Women" is a project where consenting agencies from IBJ's network of over 4,700 marriage consulting offices nationwide take the lead in planning and executing measures aimed at creating marriage opportunities for women.
Each agency will develop unique measures according to regional characteristics and member needs, providing comprehensive support from encouraging women to join, through active support, to creating marriages.
- Support Project for Marriage-Hunting Women Feature Page
URL: https://www.ibjapan.com/area/lp/women-support/
Main Initiatives
Consenting agencies nationwide (marriage counselors) will develop unique measures suited to regional characteristics and member needs across the following phases:
1. Creating Triggers for Participation (Joining/Preparation Phase)
- Offering beauty-related benefits upon joining and implementing campaigns for marriage-hunting women.
- Strengthening information dissemination and know-how seminars related to marriage hunting.
2. Creating Opportunities and Active Support (Meeting/Dating Phase)
- Support for profile creation and meeting application assistance by assigned counselors.
- Organizing meeting review sessions and providing individual consultations for concerns during dating.
3. Marriage and Motivation Maintenance Support (Marriage Phase)
- Hosting exchange events (women-only parties) with members who have already married.
- Conducting regular interviews and forming communities to maintain motivation.
Each initiative is planned and executed independently by the consenting affiliated marriage consulting offices. Specific implementation details vary by agency.
Expected Effects
Through this project, we expect the following results:
- Increase in female membership numbers
- Expansion of meeting opportunities
- Maximization of marriage opportunities
- Increase in the number of marriages
As clarified by joint research with the University of Tokyo Market Design Center (UTMD), an increase in the ratio of female members within the platform significantly expands matching opportunities for both men and women. By creating more encounters, we aim to revitalize the entire marriage-hunting market and increase the number of marriages.
Future Outlook
This project will be conducted until August 31, 2026, to verify its effects.
Initiatives with confirmed results will be deployed to all affiliated consulting offices nationwide to improve the quality of marriage-hunting support services and maximize marriage opportunities.
IBJ will continue to promote marriage-hunting support services that meet the needs of the times and work to create an environment where everyone can proactively aim for marriage in order to create even one more marriage.
Background: Gender Ratio Reversal in Five Years. Moving Toward an Environment Where Women Lead.
While IBJ boasts the largest number of members as a marriage consulting platform in Japan, its membership composition has changed significantly over the past five years.
At the end of 2020, men accounted for 46% and women for 54%. Since then, the number of male members has continued to grow, and the gender ratio reversed in 2024. As of the end of 2025, men accounted for 54% and women for 46%, indicating significant changes in the environment of the marriage-hunting market over the past few years.
We are shifting from the old stereotype of "women being the ones chosen" to a market environment where women can proactively "choose their own partners" (expanding their options). Furthermore, in recent marriage-hunting activities, there is an increase in women who value their own values and lifestyles and who pursue marriage independently.
IBJ is responding to these changes by promoting this project to support the activities of women who wish to marry and to maximize opportunities for meetings and marriages.
Project Overview
The "Support Project for Marriage-Hunting Women" is a project where consenting agencies from IBJ's network of over 4,700 marriage consulting offices nationwide take the lead in planning and executing measures aimed at creating marriage opportunities for women.
Each agency will develop unique measures according to regional characteristics and member needs, providing comprehensive support from encouraging women to join, through active support, to creating marriages.
- Support Project for Marriage-Hunting Women Feature Page
URL: https://www.ibjapan.com/area/lp/women-support/
Main Initiatives
Consenting agencies nationwide (marriage counselors) will develop unique measures suited to regional characteristics and member needs across the following phases:
1. Creating Triggers for Participation (Joining/Preparation Phase)
- Offering beauty-related benefits upon joining and implementing campaigns for marriage-hunting women.
- Strengthening information dissemination and know-how seminars related to marriage hunting.
2. Creating Opportunities and Active Support (Meeting/Dating Phase)
- Support for profile creation and meeting application assistance by assigned counselors.
- Organizing meeting review sessions and providing individual consultations for concerns during dating.
3. Marriage and Motivation Maintenance Support (Marriage Phase)
- Hosting exchange events (women-only parties) with members who have already married.
- Conducting regular interviews and forming communities to maintain motivation.
Each initiative is planned and executed independently by the consenting affiliated marriage consulting offices. Specific implementation details vary by agency.
Expected Effects
Through this project, we expect the following results:
- Increase in female membership numbers
- Expansion of meeting opportunities
- Maximization of marriage opportunities
- Increase in the number of marriages
As clarified by joint research with the University of Tokyo Market Design Center (UTMD), an increase in the ratio of female members within the platform significantly expands matching opportunities for both men and women. By creating more encounters, we aim to revitalize the entire marriage-hunting market and increase the number of marriages.
Future Outlook
This project will be conducted until August 31, 2026, to verify its effects.
Initiatives with confirmed results will be deployed to all affiliated consulting offices nationwide to improve the quality of marriage-hunting support services and maximize marriage opportunities.
IBJ will continue to promote marriage-hunting support services that meet the needs of the times and work to create an environment where everyone can proactively aim for marriage in order to create even one more marriage.
FAQ
What is the 'Marriage Support Project for Women'?
It is an initiative led by participating matchmaking agencies among over 4,700 IBJ member agencies, aiming to create more marriage opportunities for women. Each agency independently conducts information dissemination, activity support, and motivation maintenance efforts.
When is the project implementation period?
It will be implemented from June 1, 2026, to August 31, 2026.
How has the gender ratio in the marriage market changed?
As of the end of 2020, it was 46% male and 54% female, but it reversed by 2024. By the end of 2025, it is 54% male and 46% female.
How has the marriage environment for women changed?
The market has shifted from a fixed notion of women being the chosen to a more proactive environment where women choose their partners. There is an increase in independent women who prioritize their values and lifestyles in their marriage search.
What effects are expected from the project?
An increase in female membership, expansion of matchmaking opportunities, maximization of marriage opportunities, and an increase in the number of successful marriages are expected.