Survey of Unmarried Men and Women: Over Half "Internalize" Dissatisfaction with Partners. Those Desiring Free Relationships Tend to Believe in "Self-Digestion"

Lismi Co., Ltd. (https://lismi.jp/), headquartered in Osaka, Japan, and represented by Shiyo Nishimura, which provides a chat fortune-telling app, conducted a survey targeting 720 unmarried men and women aged 20-39 nationwide to clarify the forms and characteristics of partnerships desired in modern society. This survey revealed that a certain number of people do not adhere to traditional marriage, and tendencies observed in such free relationships.

**Survey Summary** The outline of this survey's results is as follows: 1. For ideal relationships, 50.0% desire "to marry and live together," while 29.2% hope for a form that does not adhere to marriage. 2. The main reasons for considering separation: for those with marriage aspirations, "personality and compatibility" was highest at 35.4%; for those in non-marital cohabitation, "restraint/interference" and "dependence" were common. 3. Over half of people "internalize" dissatisfaction with their partners, with only 32.5% directly communicating it. 4. The top reasons for not communicating dissatisfaction are "fear of being disliked" and "burden on the partner"; those with non-marital aspirations often believe in "self-digestion." *For details on the survey content, please refer to the "Survey Implementation Overview" below.

**Main Survey Results** 1. For ideal relationships, 50.0% desire "to marry and live together," while 29.2% hope for a form that does not adhere to marriage. What kind of relationships do unmarried individuals wish to build with their lovers or partners? The following graph shows the results of questions about ideal partnerships. The responses show that "Want to marry and live together (marriage-oriented group)" was the most common at 50.0%. On the other hand, "Want to live together through cohabitation or de facto marriage (non-marital cohabitation group)" was 17.8%, and "Want to date while maintaining separate lives without cohabitation (non-marital separate living group)" was 11.4%. The combined non-marital oriented group accounted for 29.2%. Additionally, 15.3% responded, "Do not particularly need a lover or partner." While half of the people desire traditional marriage, a significant number also seek new relationships that do not adhere to legal marriage. This suggests not just a "decline in marriage" but a current situation where people are choosing the distance with their partners that aligns with their own values.

2. Main reasons for considering separation: for those with marriage aspirations, "personality and compatibility" was highest at 35.4%; for those in non-marital cohabitation, "restraint/interference" and "dependence" were common. How do these differences in ideal relationships affect the end of a relationship? We asked individuals who desire a partner about the main reasons they considered breaking up in past relationships, and aggregated the results by their ideal relationship type. In the marriage-oriented group, "incompatibility of personality and compatibility" showed a particularly high percentage at 35.4%. Due to the strong awareness of marriage as a long-term relationship, fundamental incompatibility may be easily perceived as a major hurdle to continuing the relationship. On the other hand, for the non-marital cohabitation group, "differences in future direction (such as differences in marriage awareness)" (28.0%) and "economic anxiety or differences in money sense" (23.1%) showed high percentages. The non-marital cohabitation group, who wish not to formalize their relationship through registration, may find that discrepancies in future outlooks, such as differing views on marriage, are more likely to trigger thoughts of separation. Even in the non-marital separate living group, "economic anxiety" (23.4%) and "personality and compatibility" (21.3%) were high, but "restraint and interference" (20.3%) and "partner's mental dependence or clinginess" (12.8%) were notably higher compared to others. It seems that for those who desire an independent relationship, losing their pace due to an inability to maintain an appropriate distance is more likely to lead to separation.

3. Over half of people "internalize" dissatisfaction with their partners, with only 32.5% directly communicating it. How do people deal with dissatisfaction or discomfort with their partners before disagreements lead to thoughts of separation? We asked respondents who had experienced dissatisfaction in past relationships about their most common coping methods. The most common method for dealing with dissatisfaction was "directly communicating (discussing) with the partner" at 32.5%. Although this is the most frequent individual item, those who try to resolve issues by confronting their partner are by no means the majority overall. Particularly noteworthy is the tendency for people to internalize issues without dialogue or consultation with anyone. Including "enduring it within oneself (24.6%)," "showing it through attitude without speaking (13.7%)," "taking distance (11.1%)," and "distracting oneself by immersing in work or hobbies (3.5%)," the total percentage of people choosing methods other than dialogue/consultation reached 52.9%. Over half of people avoid confronting their partners even when dissatisfied, opting for self-contained methods, and are unable to express their true feelings.