"Looking for a Partner to Raise Cats Together"… Japan's 'Cat Lover Exclusive Matchmaker' Gains Popularity

Only Cat Owners Can Join
Meetings Also Held at Cat Cafe

On the 22nd, 'Cat Day' in Japan, a 'marriage information company exclusively for cat lovers' is gaining attention. It is a place that introduces only people who want to live with cats in advance, instead of those who oppose raising cats due to allergies or values. The marriage information market, which used to focus only on the partner's occupation, assets, and appearance, is expected to gradually shift towards preferences.

On the 22nd, Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) introduced the cat lover-exclusive matchmaking company 'Toracon Connect Nyaa' (an onomatopoeia representing a cat's meow). 'Toracon' is a Japanese matchmaking company specializing in otaku, arranging marriages for enthusiasts in various fields such as animation, games, and sports. It became famous for having all counselors as otaku, and this time, it has started matchmaking for cat lovers.

Photo by Toracon Connect Nyaa homepage.

The company explained the purpose of the business, saying, "Owning a cat can be a hurdle when looking for a marriage partner," and "Some people hide their desire to raise cats and live married life because their partner is allergic or it becomes difficult to find a home."

This company accepts only members who are sincere about cats. The company's motto is "to support marriage activities so that people who definitely want to live with cats even after marriage can find wonderful partners." As a condition for joining, it states, "Liking cats alone is not enough to join," and "It targets people who currently live with cats or those who do not live with cats now but plan to adopt a cat after marriage."

Profiles are written to clearly show how much the person likes cats. In the self-introduction section, members usually upload photos taken with their cats and appeal about what kind of cats they live with. On the 18th, an offline meeting was also held at a cat cafe.

Introduction to the website of 'Toracon Connect Nyaa,' a marriage information company exclusively for cat lovers. (Photo by Toracon Connect Nyaa website)

The monthly fee is 7,980 yen (about 70,000 won), which is relatively inexpensive compared to other matchmaking companies. The system assigns several counselors to one member, and since everything is conducted online, they can maintain a low price. The admission fee is free for the first month, and if continued for more than two months, it costs 39,800 yen (about 350,000 won). Compared to the usual admission fees of 100,000 to 200,000 yen (880,000 to 1,760,000 won), this is also inexpensive.

Shuri Omae, a person in charge of business planning, told Nikkei, "We want to open the marriage market for people who love cats and create a trend where it is natural to show what you like from the beginning." She added, "Within this year, we plan to increase the number of members by holding cat-related events so that couples can be successfully matched."