Japan's parents party to marry off stay-at-home kids

Japan’s parents party to marry off stay-at-home kids

Tokyo: The Japanese are true handson parents, helping their children with everything from university entrance exams to finding a job. Now, they’re playing matchmakers, and on a nationwide level. Japanese traditionally house and support their children until marriage, which has usually occurred at a younger age than now. But as the kids stay at home longer due to job uncertainty and an unwillingness to compromise, panicked parents are flocking to mass matchmaking events at hotels and conference centers.
   Parents’ worries are founded in a society where more men and women are choosing to tie the knot later in life, or sometimes not at all. A government report from 2005 showed 71.5% of men aged 25 to 29 were unmarried compared with 47.1% in 1990. For women, 32% from 30 to 34 years of age were single, compared 16% in 1990.
   Japanese newspapers have dubbed the nationwide phenomenon “parent representative matchmaking parties” and so far, events have been held in 13 cities with around 6,500 participants. AGENCIES