ABEMA's 'The Clockwork Marriage' Reality Show Highlights 'Utility Pole Women' in the Latest Marriage-Hunting Market: Dating/Marriage Advisor Miyuki Uekusa Explains – The Reality of Wanting to Marry but Unable to Progress, Analyzed as 'Unable to Abandon Past Successes and Entering Thirties'
ABEMA launched its original dating reality show 'The Clockwork Marriage' on April 28, 2026. Concurrent with the show, a survey of 3,000 unmarried women aged 20-39 revealed new psychological barriers like 'utility pole women' and 'what if there's someone better' syndrome in the modern marriage-hunting market.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 8, 2026 at 20:00
- 🔍 Collected: May 8, 2026 at 11:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 9, 2026 at 01:12 (13h 40m after Collected)
New Future TV 'ABEMA' has been broadcasting its original dating reality show 'The Clockwork Marriage' since April 28, 2026 (Tuesday) at 10 PM.
This series is a dating reality show that follows three beautiful women, confident in dating but new to marriage hunting, who must find a marriage partner within a 30-day deadline leading up to a wedding ceremony—a 'time-limited marriage hunting program.' Ayaka (Ayaka Nakano), a businesswoman with experience in popular dating shows; Yuka (Yuka Nishizawa), a current announcer; and Natsue (Natsue Tokumoto), a model—all three who have been successful in both work and private life—select one person they want to meet from a total of 30 'high-spec men,' relying on limited information such as annual income and age rankings. After a date with that man, they make the ultimate decision every day leading up to the wedding in 30 days: either 'cohabiting' to deepen their relationship the next day and beyond, or 'breaking off the engagement' to choose a different man. The studio MCs are Shigeo Takahashi of Savanna, Kana, Arakawa from Elf, and Kasumi Mori. On X, related posts garnered over 29 million impressions, creating a huge buzz even before the broadcast. (Relevant post: https://x.com/ABEMA/status/2046871629641515125?s=20)
In line with the program's content, a survey was conducted on 3,000 unmarried women aged 20-39 (200 in the main survey) regarding the latest marriage-hunting and marriage situations. While the 'infrastructure for encounters' is well-established due to diversifying choices and the spread of matching apps, data revealed the reality that many modern women face new psychological barriers such as 'marriage hunting fatigue,' 'becoming utility pole women,' and the 'what if there's someone better' syndrome, leading them to halt their efforts.
■ Survey Summary
● 'Apps' as the absolute infrastructure for encounters: Matching apps emerge as the dominant channel for encounters.
● Approximately 60% identify as 'utility pole women': 58% of women surveyed recognize themselves as being in a 'utility pole woman' state, where they repeat dates but cannot actively advance discussions towards marriage (no progress).
● Regret due to 'what if there's someone better' syndrome: 49% of the total surveyed have experienced regretting looking for 'someone better,' with this figure exceeding half at 54% for those in their 20s.
● Over 80% have 'kept options open': 86% of those who feel pressure that they 'might never meet again' have experienced keeping a relationship going even if they were not 100% convinced about the partner.
■ Detailed Survey Results
1. 'Encounters' are now mainstream via apps. However, approximately 60% are 'passive,' unable to act spontaneously.
Among those with specific encounter channels, 'matching apps (26%)' ranked top, establishing themselves as the absolute modern infrastructure. However, approximately 60% were found to have an extremely passive attitude, combining 'basically don't act unless there's an action from the other party (38%)' and 'wait for the other party's action for concrete steps (21%).' Even among the active group who said they would approach others, 85% genuinely answered 'I want to be invited by the other party,' revealing a deep-seated desire to be passive. The biggest reason for not taking action was 'fear of rejection, not wanting to get hurt (30%),' followed by 'don't know how to invite (26%).'
(C)AbemaTV,Inc.
2. Dates occur but only as 'dinner parties'... Women becoming 'utility pole women.'
Regarding moments felt to be stuck in a state where concrete discussions cannot be advanced (no progress) in marriage hunting, a total of 58% recognized themselves, combining 'strongly agree (18%)' and 'somewhat agree (39%).' This level was similar for those in their 20s (58%) and 30s (57%), indicating a unique communication challenge of modern times that transcends generations.
Miyuki Uekusa, a highly skilled dating and marriage advisor with over 1,300 successful marriages, who appears as a support role for the three women in this program, refers to such women who 'want to marry but just wait and do nothing themselves' as 'utility pole women.' In the #0 episode (『婚活美女3人に「頭の中、お花畑ね」"はじめての植草"で絶句』) released prior to the first broadcast, when current announcer Yuka (Yuka Nishizawa) stated about her type, 'I get to know them by having meals many times before dating,' Uekusa sharply dismissed it as 'a useless dinner party.' Uekusa analyzes that 'the biggest factor increasing 'utility pole women' is that while in their 20s, they are approached by men even with a 'waiting attitude,' they enter their 30s unable to abandon that success experience.'
This series is a dating reality show that follows three beautiful women, confident in dating but new to marriage hunting, who must find a marriage partner within a 30-day deadline leading up to a wedding ceremony—a 'time-limited marriage hunting program.' Ayaka (Ayaka Nakano), a businesswoman with experience in popular dating shows; Yuka (Yuka Nishizawa), a current announcer; and Natsue (Natsue Tokumoto), a model—all three who have been successful in both work and private life—select one person they want to meet from a total of 30 'high-spec men,' relying on limited information such as annual income and age rankings. After a date with that man, they make the ultimate decision every day leading up to the wedding in 30 days: either 'cohabiting' to deepen their relationship the next day and beyond, or 'breaking off the engagement' to choose a different man. The studio MCs are Shigeo Takahashi of Savanna, Kana, Arakawa from Elf, and Kasumi Mori. On X, related posts garnered over 29 million impressions, creating a huge buzz even before the broadcast. (Relevant post: https://x.com/ABEMA/status/2046871629641515125?s=20)
In line with the program's content, a survey was conducted on 3,000 unmarried women aged 20-39 (200 in the main survey) regarding the latest marriage-hunting and marriage situations. While the 'infrastructure for encounters' is well-established due to diversifying choices and the spread of matching apps, data revealed the reality that many modern women face new psychological barriers such as 'marriage hunting fatigue,' 'becoming utility pole women,' and the 'what if there's someone better' syndrome, leading them to halt their efforts.
■ Survey Summary
● 'Apps' as the absolute infrastructure for encounters: Matching apps emerge as the dominant channel for encounters.
● Approximately 60% identify as 'utility pole women': 58% of women surveyed recognize themselves as being in a 'utility pole woman' state, where they repeat dates but cannot actively advance discussions towards marriage (no progress).
● Regret due to 'what if there's someone better' syndrome: 49% of the total surveyed have experienced regretting looking for 'someone better,' with this figure exceeding half at 54% for those in their 20s.
● Over 80% have 'kept options open': 86% of those who feel pressure that they 'might never meet again' have experienced keeping a relationship going even if they were not 100% convinced about the partner.
■ Detailed Survey Results
1. 'Encounters' are now mainstream via apps. However, approximately 60% are 'passive,' unable to act spontaneously.
Among those with specific encounter channels, 'matching apps (26%)' ranked top, establishing themselves as the absolute modern infrastructure. However, approximately 60% were found to have an extremely passive attitude, combining 'basically don't act unless there's an action from the other party (38%)' and 'wait for the other party's action for concrete steps (21%).' Even among the active group who said they would approach others, 85% genuinely answered 'I want to be invited by the other party,' revealing a deep-seated desire to be passive. The biggest reason for not taking action was 'fear of rejection, not wanting to get hurt (30%),' followed by 'don't know how to invite (26%).'
(C)AbemaTV,Inc.
2. Dates occur but only as 'dinner parties'... Women becoming 'utility pole women.'
Regarding moments felt to be stuck in a state where concrete discussions cannot be advanced (no progress) in marriage hunting, a total of 58% recognized themselves, combining 'strongly agree (18%)' and 'somewhat agree (39%).' This level was similar for those in their 20s (58%) and 30s (57%), indicating a unique communication challenge of modern times that transcends generations.
Miyuki Uekusa, a highly skilled dating and marriage advisor with over 1,300 successful marriages, who appears as a support role for the three women in this program, refers to such women who 'want to marry but just wait and do nothing themselves' as 'utility pole women.' In the #0 episode (『婚活美女3人に「頭の中、お花畑ね」"はじめての植草"で絶句』) released prior to the first broadcast, when current announcer Yuka (Yuka Nishizawa) stated about her type, 'I get to know them by having meals many times before dating,' Uekusa sharply dismissed it as 'a useless dinner party.' Uekusa analyzes that 'the biggest factor increasing 'utility pole women' is that while in their 20s, they are approached by men even with a 'waiting attitude,' they enter their 30s unable to abandon that success experience.'