Bubble Generation's Love Drives Consumer Market: "Tokimeki Consumption" - "Last Love Day (Fri, May 1)" to Host Dating Outfit Proposal Event for Couples in their 50s and 60s

The dating and marriage-seeking matching app "Last Love," exclusively for individuals aged 40 and over, will co-host a "Dating Outfit Proposal Event" for couples in their 50s and 60s with "AnotherADdress," a fashion rental service operated by Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Store, on "Last Love Day," Friday, May 1, 2026. This event targets couples who have successfully matched within the app, where professional stylists will coordinate outfits using department store brands, and the couples will then proceed directly to a date. This event provides a space on "Last Love Day" for middle-aged and senior individuals, who may have been distanced from trends and social connections due to work, childcare, and eldercare, to experience returning to the market through romance. ■ Market Background: Why is the dating population among middle-aged and seniors increasing? From the Cabinet Office's "Basic Survey on Human Connections (Reiwa 7)" The increase in the dating population among middle-aged and seniors is due to a combination of factors. According to the "Basic Survey on Human Connections (Reiwa 7)" announced by the Cabinet Office in April this year, single individuals reported feeling loneliness approximately 3.8 times higher than married individuals (9.1% for divorced individuals without a spouse vs. 2.4% for married individuals). Furthermore, the trend of mature divorce continues to rise, with divorces of couples married for 20 years or more accounting for 22% of all divorces in 2024 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, "2024 Demographic Statistics"). The lifetime singlehood rate is also increasing, with 28.3% for men and 17.8% for women (2020 National Census), indicating a definite increase in middle-aged and senior individuals without partners. As the use of matching apps becomes commonplace among the younger generation, this trend is now spreading to middle-aged and seniors. ■ Original Survey Data: Does love drive consumption? The spread of "Tokimeki Consumption" There is also data supporting these changes in the market and attitudes at the consumer level. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' "Household Survey Report (2025)," consumption expenditure for single-person households has seen a real decrease of 1.5%, marking the third consecutive year of real decline. On the other hand, in the "Survey on Attitudes towards Love and Work among Middle and Senior Generations" conducted by the Last Love and Last Marriage Research Institute in 2025 (1,280 respondents aged 40-80s), 72.1% of respondents answered that their "expenses increased" after starting dating or marriage-seeking activities. Among the increased expenditures, the top category for men was "eating out" (55.8%), and for women, it was "fashion and beauty" (55.5%). Dating activities are becoming a new driving force in the middle-aged and senior market, which is facing declining consumption. The same institute's "Survey on Attitudes towards End-of-Life Planning, Romance, and Health among Middle and Senior Generations" (September 2025, 1,926 users aged 40-80s) revealed that approximately 90% of respondents answered "I think so" to the question, "Do you think being in love extends a healthy lifespan?" Users of "Last Love" have shared comments such as, "I used to think it was okay to die anytime, but now I'm thinking about the future (55-year-old woman, Tokyo)" and "I used to think my life was boring and lonely, but now I feel happy every day (65-year-old man, Kumamoto Prefecture)." The power of dating activities to alleviate loneliness, along with its economic ripple effects, is transforming the very way of life for middle-aged and seniors. ■ Comment on "Tokimeki Consumption" by Professor Masahiro Yamada, Faculty of Letters, Chuo University "People in their 50s and 60s today spent their youth during Japan's economic bubble period (1986-1992). The period from the bubble era to around 2000 was when romance among young people was most vibrant in Japan." "I believe that an increasing number of middle-aged and seniors are now prioritizing commemorative events and gifts, thinking, 'I want to re-experience the exciting events of the past,' or 'I couldn't afford it back then, but now that I have money, I want to go on that dream date.' This is, so to speak, 'Tokimeki Consumption' once again." Quote: From the insights within the "Survey on Consumption in Last Marriages." ■ Event Outline Event Name: "Last Love Day - Dating Outfit Proposal Event" Date and Time: Friday, May 1, 2026, 11:00-19:00 Venue: AnotherADdress TOKYO (COREDO Nihonbashi) Participants: 10 men and women in their 50s and 60s who have successfully matched within the Last Love app *Only winners will be invited. Cooperation: AnotherADdress (Fashion rental service operated by Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Store) *If you wish to cover the event, please contact us in advance for details. ■ Features of "Last Love" It is a dating and marriage-seeking matching app for individuals aged 40 and over. It provides a safe place for the "active generation" who have various life experiences such as divorce, remarriage, and child-rearing, to meet. It is used primarily by people in their 40s and 50s, and also by those aged 60 and over, maintaining an extremely high matching rate of 97% within one month of registration (*). Equipped with features that even adult beginners of matching apps can use without hesitation, such as "face photo shooting support" and "topic recommendations" utilizing proprietary AI. It is chosen by proactive individuals who want to enjoy their lives regardless of age. *Calculated in the Kanto area. Excludes those who stopped using within 2 days of registration. Download here ■ How to use "Last Love" After completing profile registration, search for interesting partners based on hobbies, values, and residential area. Send a "Like" to the interesting partner. If both parties' feelings match, a match is established, and message exchange becomes possible. ■ About Last Love and Last Marriage Research Institute (https://laskoi.jp/blog) The "Last Love and Last Marriage Research Institute" is a specialized organization that analyzes the reality of romance and marriage-seeking among individuals aged 40 and over from both data and qualitative perspectives, and disseminates this information to society. Through regular surveys, interviews, and collection of experience stories, it aims to realize a society where "love in the latter half of life is discussed more naturally, and empathy spreads." Nagano (45) x Gifu (41) "I thought matching apps had nothing to do with me." A life-changing encounter found on Last Love by two people in a long-distance relationship. Okayama (51) x Okayama (54) After losing his wife of 24 years, he met her beyond loneliness. A fated encounter connected by their beloved cat. Fukuoka (52) x Fukuoka (62) "Stand by me" - that one message connected them. A dream shared with a lifelong partner found on Last Love by two people with a 10-year age difference. Chiba (45) x Chiba (49) Seven years after a sudden farewell. A chance reunion and a last love that restarted my stagnant time. ■ Last Love Inc. Company Overview With the mission of "creating a society where the freedom to love and excitement are open to everyone," we operate "Last Love," a matching service for individuals aged 40 and over. Our group has been developing matching app businesses for over 10 years, and Last Love has established a safe and secure operational system, acquiring "IMS certification" (obtained in March 2026), which is a third-party review and certification of matching app quality and reliability, as well as ISMS certification. As a regular member B of the General Incorporated Association for Love and Marriage Matching Apps (DMMA) (joined October 2025), we are actively working to promote the healthy development of the industry as a whole and create a safe and secure environment for users. Company Name: Last Love Inc. Representative Director CEO: Kosei Yamaguchi Location: Fujiwara Building 2F, 1-10-1 Ebisu Nishi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0021 Website: https://laskoi.jp/