What 200 Singles in Marriage Hunting Value in First Impressions: Men Prioritize 'Face,' Women 'Grooming,' a Completely Opposite Result

Presia Marriage Agency (Presia Co., Ltd.) conducted a survey titled "Awareness Survey on First Impressions in Matchmaking 2026" targeting 200 men and women aged 20-50 with matchmaking experience.

During a first date (including omiai) in matchmaking, it's necessary to decide "if you want to meet this person again" within a limited time, and first impressions significantly influence subsequent relationships. The survey results showed that 93.5% of respondents had experienced judging someone as "not a match (not a romantic interest)" based on their first impression, once again highlighting how crucial first impressions are in matchmaking.

[Summary of this Survey]

・ 93.5% of individuals with matchmaking experience have judged someone as "not a match (not a romantic interest)" based on their first impression.

・ For men, the most important factor in a first impression is "face," while for women, it's "grooming." The results show completely opposite "points of focus" between genders.

・ The experience rate of "photo fraud," where profile pictures differ from reality, is 77.5%. This includes 88.7% for men and 72.5% for women.

93.5% of Matchmaking Experienced Individuals Have Experienced "No-Go Judgment," with Equal Rates for Men and Women

In response to the question, "Have you ever judged someone as 'not a match (not a romantic interest)' based on their first impression?", 93.5% of the total responded "Yes." What's noteworthy is that the percentage was exactly the same for men (93.5%) and women (93.5%).

By age group, the rates were 90.9% for those in their 20s, 95.1% for 30s, 95.9% for 40s, and 88.0% for 50s, showing a tendency for the "no-go judgment" experience rate to increase with more matchmaking experience.

It was found that almost everyone has experienced feeling "this person is not a match" during a first date (including omiai) in matchmaking. In other words, avoiding a "no-go judgment" based on first impressions can be considered the first hurdle to successful matchmaking.

Most Important Factor in First Impressions is "Grooming," "Face" Ranks Third

Respondents were asked to rank the "elements they prioritize in a first impression" from 1st to 3rd place, and the results were aggregated using a weighted score (1st place = 3pt, 2nd place = 2pt, 3rd place = 1pt). The overall ranking is as follows:

・ 1st place: Grooming (266pt)

・ 2nd place: Etiquette/Manners (240pt)

・ 3rd place: Face (174pt)

・ 4th place: Ease of conversation (158pt)

・ 5th place: Way of speaking (93pt)

・ 6th place: Body shape (74pt)

・ 7th place: Amiability (72pt)

・ 8th place: Smile (71pt)

・ 9th place: Clothing (42pt)

・ 10th place: Hairstyle (10pt)

"Face" ranked third, while "grooming" (1st place) and "etiquette/manners" (2nd place) – elements that can be improved with effort – dominated the top spots. This suggests that even without confidence in one's appearance, simply tidying up one's grooming and demeanor can significantly improve a first impression.

"Points of Focus" are Completely Opposite Between Genders. Men's Top Priority is "Face," Women's is "Grooming"

When the same ranking was aggregated by gender, a clear difference emerged.

▼ Top 5 Points Men Prioritize (n=62)

・ 1st place: Face (66pt)

・ 2nd place: Etiquette/Manners (65pt)

・ 3rd place: Ease of conversation (61pt)

・ 4th place: Amiability (40pt)

・ 5th place: Grooming (39pt)

▼ Top 5 Points Women Prioritize (n=138)

・ 1st place: Grooming (227pt)

・ 2nd place: Etiquette/Manners (175pt)

・ 3rd place: Face (108pt)

・ 4th place: Ease of conversation (97pt)

・ 5th place: Way of speaking (67pt)

While men's top priority was "face," women's was "grooming." Approximately three out of four women prioritize "grooming" in a first impression, with a score more than double that of "face."

On the other hand, "amiability" ranked 4th in men's preferences, but only 8th in women's. This suggests a potential disconnect between the "cuteness" or "friendliness" men seek in women and women's own awareness.

▼ Real-life Experiences from Respondents

"When I saw him from a distance at the meeting spot, he was neatly dressed in a suit, and I thought, 'Good, good...' But when I approached and met him... he smelled of cigarettes, hadn't shaved, and had a bit of nose hair sticking out. His grooming was completely lacking." (30s, Female)

"In the photo, she looked clean and natural, but when I actually met her at the meeting spot, she had heavy makeup and unkempt clothing. The discrepancy was so great that she was practically a different person, and I felt deceived." (30s, Male)

"Photo Fraud" Victim Rate is 77.5%. 88.7% of Men Have Experienced It

In response to the question, "Have you ever experienced profile pictures differing from reality (photo fraud/disappointment)?", 77.5% of the total responded "Yes."

By gender, 88.7% of men and 72.5% of women reported this experience, with men's rate being 16.2 percentage points higher. This means almost 90% of men have experienced a gap between the other person's profile picture and their actual appearance.

By age group, the rates were 81.8% for those in their 20s, 78.0% for 30s, 77.6% for 40s, and 68.0% for 50s, suggesting that younger generations may be more influenced by photo editing and filter culture.

▼ Real-life Experiences from Respondents

"In the profile picture, she was exactly my type and cute, but when I actually met her, she looked completely different. She was heavily edited, her body shape was totally different, it was the worst." (20s, Male)

"My first date with someone whose profile information was vastly different was the worst. Her appearance was clearly from a heavily edited photo; when I met her, her skin was severely rough, and I couldn't feel any sense of cleanliness." (40s, Female)

"Worst First Impression" Episodes Reveal "Truly Bad Behaviors" in Matchmaking

Analyzing the "worst first impression" episodes submitted by 200 respondents revealed recurring "NG behaviors."

▼ NG Behaviors Frequently Mentioned in Experiences

Lack of cleanliness (wrinkled clothes, bedhead, body odor/bad breath, dirty nails) Late + no apology Arrogant attitude towards staff Frequently checking smartphone Talking only about oneself without asking questions to the other person Large gap between photo and reality Inappropriate jokes/body touching on first meeting

All of these are behaviors that can be prevented with prior awareness. Nevertheless, the reality is that many individuals with matchmaking experience encounter such "NG behaviors."

▼ Real-life Experiences from Respondents

"On our first meeting, he asked, 'I have 20 million yen in savings, how much do you have?' I was completely turned off." (30s, Female)

"When I met him for our first date, his parents were with him for some reason. It wasn't prohibited by the marriage agency's rules, but the act itself was unpleasant." (50s, Female)

"Not only was he late for our first date, but he suddenly started performing magic. He started doing magic tricks on his hand in a crowded place and looked smug, making it difficult for me to react, and I was very embarrassed by the onlookers." (30s, Female)

"At our first date meeting, the other person sighed immediately and just said, 'Ah, I'm tired.' Without greeting me or even looking at me, he kept fiddling with his smartphone and started walking." (30s, Female)

Comment from Miyuki Kijima, Representative of Presia Marriage Agency

The survey results, showing that 93.5% of individuals with matchmaking experience have made a "no-go judgment" based on first impressions, illustrate how decisive first impressions are in matchmaking.

Particularly noteworthy is that "grooming" ranked 1st and "etiquette/manners" 2nd as important factors in first impressions, while "face" only ranked 3rd. Isn't this a great hope for those who lack confidence in their appearance? While "face" cannot be changed, "grooming" and "etiquette/manners" can be consciously improved starting today.

On the other hand, reading the anecdotes from 200 respondents, I am surprised to find that many people are losing out on first impressions due to a lack of basic manners, such as "lack of cleanliness," "not apologizing for being late," or "being rude to staff." At a marriage agency, counselors provide specific advice on clothing, grooming, and conversation points before an omiai, which can prevent such "NG behaviors."

Improving the "quality of encounters" rather than the "number of encounters" is key to successful matchmaking. I hope this survey serves as an opportunity for those engaged in matchmaking to re-evaluate their first impressions.

About Presia Marriage Agency

Presia Marriage Agency is an online-only marriage consulting service led by Miyuki Kijima, a marriage counselor with over 150,000 YouTube channel subscribers. As an official member of IBJ, the industry's largest network, Presia provides an environment where everything from counseling to omiai can be completed online from anywhere in the country. It features a unique "Self-Worth Diagnosis Checker" and data-driven logical support, having achieved over 450 successful marriages to date. Its success rate is 46.2%, with 87.8% of successful members withdrawing within one year.

Official website: https://presia.jp/agent/

Target: Men and women aged 20-50 with matchmaking experience (200 valid responses)

Survey period: March 2026

Survey institution: Joint survey with SUNCORE Co., Ltd.

Survey method: Voluntary responses via the internet

Survey report name: "Awareness Survey on First Impressions in Matchmaking 2026"

*When quoting graphs or content, please clearly state "Presia Marriage Agency" and provide a link to this page (https://presia.jp/matchmaking-success-rate/).