"I Got a Japanese Girlfriend": More Korean Men and Japanese Women Are Falling in Love — Why?

[Financial News] As South Korean travelers expand their trips to Japan beyond major cities such as Tokyo and Osaka to smaller regional cities, analysts say the shift is affecting not only tourism spending but also the way people build relationships.

According to Japan-Korea matching data released on the 18th by Enrise, which operates the social dating app WIPPY, exchanges between Koreans and Japanese users have expanded from major cities such as Tokyo and Osaka to regions across Japan, including smaller cities.
Tokyo and Osaka still ranked first and second in total matches, but areas such as Kanagawa Prefecture, Fukuoka Prefecture, and Nara Prefecture also placed near the top. As Korean travelers move away from city-centered trips and visit smaller destinations such as Takamatsu and Matsuyama, online matching regions have also broadened.
In particular, matches with users in smaller cities led to much deeper conversations than those in major cities. The average number of messages exchanged with users in smaller cities such as Niigata, Kagawa Prefecture, and Ehime Prefecture was about 2.8 times higher than with users in Tokyo or Osaka.
Wippy explained, "If matches with users in major cities tend to be faster and closer to broad social exchange, matches with users in smaller cities appear to lead to relationships that are maintained more steadily once a connection is made."
Distance between regions was not a barrier either. Among the longest-distance matches Wippy identified, the distance between Seogwipo-si, Jeju, and Hokkaido reached 1,687.3 km. Matches were also made between Goyang-si, Gyeonggi Province, and Okinawa, which are 1,274.6 km apart, as well as between Iksan-si, North Jeolla, and Aomori, which are 1,316.9 km apart. In many cases, matches were found between regions more than 1,000 km apart.

The trend appears to reflect rising demand for travel to smaller cities, a high share of female users, and the fact that these regions have fewer points of contact with Koreans than major cities do. In smaller cities, Japanese women accounted for 77.8% of users, while the figure was relatively lower at 61.6% in the Tokyo and Osaka areas. Wippy said, "Because opportunities to interact with foreigners are relatively limited, connecting with Koreans through an online platform is being received as a more special experience."
The increase in Korea-Japan couples is also reflected in marriage statistics. According to the National Data Office's "2024 Marriage and Divorce Statistics," marriages between Korean men and Japanese women totaled 1,176 in 2024. That marked a sharp 40.2% increase from the previous year.
The trend is being interpreted as the result of cultural familiarity taking root among younger generations in both countries. In the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's "2025 Korea National Image Survey," Japanese respondents' favorable view of Korea reached 42.2%, the highest level ever recorded. Koreans also showed a positive perception of Japan at 63.3%, surpassing negative responses for the first time since the survey began.
gaa1003@fnnews.com Ahn Ga-eul Reporter