Prize Money 300,000 Yen! Promote the Appeal of Matchmaking with Your Design! 42-Year-Old ZWEI Publicly Recruits Official Image Character for the First Time

ZWEI Co., Ltd. (ZWEI) (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Mizuho Hashizume, hereinafter “ZWEI”), a major matchmaking agency with the industry's largest network of 54 stores nationwide, will hold its first public competition for an official image character design and its nickname from April 1 (Wednesday) to May 15 (Friday), 2026. The winning design will be used in ZWEI's advertisements and various PR activities, and the Grand Prize winner will receive 300,000 yen.

▶Special site URL: https://www.zwei.com/news/202603_koubo/

In recent years, with the declining birthrate and later marriages in Japan, "marriage" is increasingly discussed as a social "issue." In response to this situation, the government and local municipalities are implementing various matchmaking support measures, such as subsidy programs, seminars, and events, and the number of users of matchmaking agencies is actually increasing. However, it is also true that a certain number of people still have a negative image of "matchmaking" and "matchmaking agencies," often seeing them as a "last resort."

Therefore, ZWEI is now recruiting a new image character that will positively convey the appeal of matchmaking and matchmaking agencies, as part of an effort to create opportunities for people to feel that marriage and matchmaking are more familiar, warm, and enjoyable. This character will be the first official image character to be publicly recruited since the company's founding in 1984. To provide an opportunity for everyone to think together, we are publicly recruiting for the design and nickname.

ZWEI's mission is to create an environment where anyone can take a step forward with confidence and make the option of marriage more accessible. The character born from this public competition will be used as the face of ZWEI in advertisements and various PR activities, helping to create an atmosphere where marriage can be discussed positively.

## Recruitment Outline
■Recruitment Content: Design, name, and profile of ZWEI's new image character
■Recruitment Period: April 1 (Wednesday) to May 15 (Friday), 2026
■Prize Money: Grand Prize 300,000 yen (1 person)
■Eligibility: None in particular (anyone can apply regardless of qualifications, age, nationality, professional/amateur status, or individual/group)
■How to Apply: Apply via the dedicated application form on the special site
■Result Announcement: Scheduled for late May 2026, on ZWEI's official website and official X
■Planned Use: Publication of special content on the official site, production of character goods, use in various web and public transport advertisements, various PR activities, etc.

*Works using generative AI technology or equivalent technologies are not eligible.
*For details on application conditions and work regulations, please check the special site (https://www.zwei.com/news/202603_koubo/).

## 14,564 New Members in 2025! Reasons Why "Matchmaking Agency ZWEI" is Chosen by Many People

**1. Overwhelming Number of Encounters**
With a nationwide network of 110,000 members and support that caters to first-time matchmaking agency users, ZWEI boasts 14,564 new members in 2025. Matchmaking begins with creating an environment for encounters.

**2. Expertise to Improve the Quality of Encounters**
Through support born from over 40 years of accumulated experience and knowledge, we have realized a system with 196,489 matchmaking meetings in 2025, making it easy to meet compatible partners.

**3. Counselors Who Support Decisions**
The most important point in a matchmaking agency is "people." At ZWEI, dedicated staff provide advice tailored to each individual's situation and offer careful support, resulting in 3,628 successful marriages in 2025.

## About Matchmaking Agency ZWEI
ZWEI, a major matchmaking agency with the industry's largest network of 54 stores nationwide, provides careful support from reliable marriage consultants and counselors, including introducing partners, matchmaking, dating, and successful marriage. Through data matching, we introduce partners who mutually meet desired conditions, and have fostered many successful marriages every year. As a direct management brand of IBJ (https://www.ibjapan.jp/), a leading company in the matchmaking industry, we will continue to foster happiness for as many couples as possible throughout Japan.

**Regularly Conducts Surveys on Marriage and Love**

**"Post-Marriage Happiness White Paper" (2025/11/18)**
https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000202.000066446.html
Targeting 2,070 married men and women in their 20s to 50s nationwide. Survey on "Differences in satisfaction after marriage based on how they met."

**Company Profile**
Company Name: ZWEI Co., Ltd.
Representative: Representative Director and President Mizuho Hashizume
Address: Cross Ginza 4F, 5-9-8 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Business Content: Matchmaking service
HP: https://www.zwei.com/