In August, the local government of Japan’s Aichi prefecture announced that it would hold a Ghibli-themed matchmaking event for singles living, studying or working in the prefecture. It became surprisingly popular.
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In August, the local government of Japan’s Aichi prefecture announced that it would hold a Ghibli-themed matchmaking event for singles living, studying and working in the prefecture. It proved incredibly popular.
As in-person events organized by private companies have dwindled since the COVID-19 pandemic, the government planned the event as a way for singles to meet—and because Aichi is home to Ghibli Park, the Studio Ghibli theme park, what would make a better theme and location?
The matchmaking event will divide participants into groups of six—with three men and three women in each group. They will then go on a hunt around Aichi Expo Memorial Park, where Ghibli Park is located, looking together for specific pieces of public art related to Studio Ghibli.
During the application period from August 1 to September 18 In 2023, 1,175 men and 1,074 women between the ages of 20 and 39 applied for the 400 open positions in the program—five times more than with expectations.
In response to the overwhelming interest in the event, the government official in charge said the following:
“We were very surprised. Perhaps it was the unusual nature of the event—that it was so large that 400 people were expected to attend—that sparked interest. Or perhaps there are simply more people looking for a place to meet others.”
Those accepted into the event were announced on September 21, while the actual matchmaking event is scheduled for October 7.
Source: Mainichi News and SoraNews24
