One in Five People Have 'Experience Finding a Partner at a Drinking Establishment' | Survey of 200 Men and Women with Drinking Establishment Experience, Most Common Trigger is 'Sitting Next to Each Other' (Happy Mail Survey)

IBEC Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture), which operates "Happy Mail (Happy)" (https://happymail.co.jp/), a dating and romance matching app/service with a cumulative membership of 35 million (※1), conducted a survey on "Encounters at Drinking Establishments" targeting 200 adult men and women who have experience using drinking establishments (izakayas, bars, etc.).

※1: As of June 2024

This survey covered:

●　Experience of finding a partner at a drinking establishment

●　(For those with experience) Type of establishment where they found a partner

●　(For those with experience) How they became acquainted

A multiple-choice questionnaire was conducted, and the results were compiled.

This release publishes the survey results along with the number of respondents and percentages.

Detailed survey data and chart materials are available on the following page for citation in news reports and article production.

▼Special page for survey results

https://happymail.co.jp/happylife/meets/nomiya-deai/

1. 20.50% of drinking establishment users have "experience finding a partner" (200 drinking establishment users)

When 200 adult men and women with experience using drinking establishments were asked, "Have you ever found a partner through an encounter at a drinking establishment (izakaya, bar, etc.)?", 41 people (20.50%) answered "Yes," and 159 people (79.50%) answered "No."

The result shows that one in five people has experience entering a relationship through an encounter at a drinking establishment.

【Breakdown (Number of people / Percentage)】

●　Men

○　Yes: 23 people (23.00%) / No: 77 people (77.00%)

●　Women

○　Yes: 18 people (18.00%) / No: 82 people (82.00%)

2. The most common type of establishment where partners were found was "Casual Izakaya / Akachochin" at 34.15% (41 people who found partners)

Among the 41 people who answered "found a partner at a drinking establishment," when asked about the type of establishment where they met, "Casual Izakaya / Akachochin" was the most common at 14 people (34.15%).

This was followed by "Standing bars / Yokocho" with 11 people (26.83%), indicating a tendency for encounters to occur in "lively places" where conversations are easily sparked.

【Main responses (Number of people / Percentage)】※n=41

●　Casual Izakaya / Akachochin: 14 people (34.15%)

●　Standing bars / Yokocho: 11 people (26.83%)

●　Sports bars / Dining bars: 7 people (17.07%)

●　Authentic bars (quiet bars): 5 people (12.20%)

●　Snack bars / Small privately-run restaurants: 3 people (7.32%)

●　Other: 1 person (2.44%)

【By gender (Number of people)】※n=23 men / 18 women

●　Casual Izakaya / Akachochin: 8 men / 6 women

●　Standing bars / Yokocho: 5 men / 6 women

●　Sports bars / Dining bars: 5 men / 2 women

●　Authentic bars (quiet bars): 3 men / 2 women

●　Snack bars / Small privately-run restaurants: 2 men / 1 woman

●　Other: 0 men / 1 woman

3. The most common trigger for becoming acquainted was "sitting next to each other" at 46.34% (41 people who found partners)

When 41 people who had experience finding a partner at a drinking establishment were asked about the "trigger for becoming acquainted," the most common answer was "sitting next to each other" with 19 people (46.34%).

This was followed by "becoming regulars and familiar over time" with 11 people (26.83%), "owner or staff mediated" with 8 people (19.51%), and "became acquainted at an in-store event" with 3 people (7.32%).

From these results, it was found that encounters at drinking establishments most often start with proximity (sitting next to each other), leading to conversation, then exchanging contact information, and finally progressing to a relationship.

Additionally, becoming familiar faces (repeated contact) by frequenting the same establishment, and mediation by the owner or staff, also serve as entry points for relationships to develop.

【Main responses (Number of people / Percentage)】※n=41

●　Sitting next to each other: 19 people (46.34%)

●　Becoming regulars and familiar over time: 11 people (26.83%)

●　Owner or staff mediated: 8 people (19.51%)

●　Became acquainted at an in-store event: 3 people (7.32%)

3-1. Sitting next to each other

【Excerpts from free responses】

・I bravely asked the person next to me for their contact information, they gave it to me, and we became close. (Male)

・I was spoken to, we hit it off while talking, exchanged contact information, and then started dating. (Female)

The situation of being seated close to each other itself becomes a trigger for conversation, and asking for contact information becomes a direct turning point for a relationship.

3-2. Becoming regulars and familiar over time

【Excerpts from free responses】

・We both frequented the place alone, and naturally started talking. (Male)

・We started meeting at the same time often and began talking. (Female)

Repeated contact at "the same establishment" and "the same time" accumulates, naturally leading to acquaintance and conversation.

3-3. Owner or staff mediated

【Excerpts from free responses】

・The owner, who loves alcohol, introduced us and we became close. (Male)

・The owner introduced me. (Female)

It was confirmed that the introduction by the establishment serves as an entry point, allowing conversations to begin without having to initiate them oneself.

3-4. Became acquainted at an in-store event

【Excerpts from free responses】

・We became close while getting excited together at a sports viewing event. (Female)

・We exchanged contact information when all the regulars went out together. (Female)

At events and gatherings of regulars, "getting excited together / being part of the same community" becomes the starting point, and it's easier for contact information to be exchanged.

Summary of Survey Results

This survey revealed the following points regarding encounters at drinking establishments:

●　20.50% of people (41 out of 200) had experience finding a partner at a drinking establishment.

●　The most common type of establishment where partners were found was "Casual Izakaya / Akachochin" at 34.15% (14 people).

●　The most common trigger for becoming acquainted was "sitting next to each other" at 46.34% (19 people).

●　Free responses also cited proximity of seats / becoming familiar / mediation by the establishment / participation in events as "entry points for conversation."

From the above, it was observed that encounters at drinking establishments tend to arise from "situations where conversation can naturally occur," such as proximity of seats or contact made through frequent visits, rather than "special occasions."

Detailed survey results and chart materials are available on the following special page.

They can also be used as citation materials for news reports and article production.

▼Special page for survey results

https://happymail.co.jp/happylife/meets/nomiya-deai/

【Survey Overview】

Survey method: Internet questionnaire

Target audience: 200 adult men and women with experience using drinking establishments (izakayas, bars, etc.)

Number of respondents: 100 men, 100 women (total 200 people)

Date of implementation: January 29, 2026

Survey implementing body: Happy Mail (Happy) (https://happymail.co.jp/)

Survey company: IBEC Co., Ltd.

Related page: https://happymail.co.jp/happylife/meets/nomiya-deai/

What is Happy Mail (Happy)?

Happy Mail (Happy) provides encounters as a dating and romance matching app/matching site.

Based on over 25 years of operational experience, it offers services adapted to changing times across PC, smartphones, and apps.

In 2018, when approached with a request to create a romance film themed around encounters from male-female matching, it became the first in the matching industry to be involved in film production.

In 2019, it appointed "Kayo Noro" as a brand ambassador and produced the web drama "Happy Mail ~Love Story~" based on actual user experiences with Happy Mail, aiming to spread awareness of "love and marriage" through real encounters using apps and the internet.

In 2024, the cumulative number of members exceeded 35 million. (As of June 2024)

【Brand Ambassador Appointment History】

2019 Kayo Noro

2020 Kayo Noro

2021 Kayo Noro

2022 Honoka

2023 Honoka

2024 Yukipoyo

Official website: https://happymail.co.jp

General page: https://happymail.jp

Supported devices: Smartphones, PCs

Supported languages: Japanese