Pairs: Japan’s Top Dating App Using Biometric AI to Confirm Identify

Nov 30, 2020 | BIZ, Japan, TECH

We now live in a modern era where you can basically find anything online – even your future spouse. In Japan, Pairs, a dating site and app service, is helping thousands of Japanese men and women find the love of their life.

The rise of single people in Japan has caused the nation to be dubbed as “mikon shakai” or unmarried society. According to government data, a quarter of Japanese people between the age of 20 to 49 are single.  

The amount of people choosing to forego marriage has brought obstacles in others’ desire to find a partner. As a response, numerous dating apps and sites have popped up to fill the gap in the dating process, therefore making it more affordable, convenient, and practical. 

About Pairs

In the booming dating scene in Japan, homegrown site and app Pairs is taking the lead. The initiative has amassed more than 7 million likes on Facebook, thanks to its strong marketing strategy and authentic results. Around 80 percent of its users are in their 20s to 30s.  

Female members use the app for free, while male members pay a monthly fee starting at $29 or 3,000 JPY. Because of its impressive level of security, the app has achieved what many have failed to do – attract a high number of female users.  

Upon registration, Pairs requires extensive information which includes personal preferences, educational level, occupation, hobbies, hometown, and even income level. This information is used to create communities and groups, thus making the process of finding suitable matches that share common interests relatively easier. 

Pairs Flash Judgement

Using Biometric AI

The app uses AI biometric to authenticate real users, which is a response to the “catfish” boom that happened in the 90s.  The high-level AI image smartphone app  is equipped with “flash judgment” developed by Liquid is  (patent pending), which is one of the methods of authenticity judgment independently researched and developed by Liquid. This prevents fraudulent registration by fake people (photos, displays, etc.). 

Security is strengthened by making the steps of identity verification into two steps. In addition to the “personal verification / submission of official certificate”, “face photo and existence judgment shooting (smartphone application version: facial muscle judgment + flash judgment, An additional step is added “Version (smartphone video)” and give a “identification badge” to the profile of the completed member. 

Users can see a list of profiles and photos of other members. If they find someone they are interested in, they can send the person a “like.” Once this is accepted, the two become a match and can start a conversation.  

“It’s more about the whole process of falling in love with someone. It is just too much hassle for young people,” shared Hirokazu Nakamura, chief product officer, and chief marketing officer of Eureka, the company that started Pairs.  

He added that young people only view the whole process of falling in love with someone as a hassle.  

“They have been placed in a situation where finding love is too difficult. They just have too many things that they want to prioritize.”

Japan’s Lack of Interest in Marriage

Still, people’s outdated social outlooks and the increasing economic pressure to tie the knot poses a problem for many people wanting to find a spouse.  

“They think it’s a waste of time to have a relationship with someone who does not meet their conditions” and can afford to wait for a better catch,” said Masahiro Yamada, a Sociology professor from Tokyo’s Chuo University, who dubbed the term “parasite singles”

Genuine Results 

Since launching in 2012, the app has gained more than 7 million registrations, and more than 4,000 people enter a relationship each month. According to its website, they have helped more than 300,000 couples date and get married. 

“He was the only person I met in person after matching, but I was able to find a partner in the first two weeks. I think I’m pretty lucky, but I think you can find the best person if you look for it seriously with your own beliefs,” shared an app user who found her partner just two weeks after she started. 

A Convenient Way to Find True Love

Many people may think Japanese millennials don’t care about finding true love, but the success of Pairs proves otherwise. The rise of Pairs, among other dating services in Japan, imply that the attitudes of people regarding finding love and romance are changing. 

Wherever you go, dating may not come easy, but when you visit Japan, you might as well seek romantic adventures with the help of Pairs.