At the end of this month, a match-making event is being held just outside Tokyo. But this get-together is a little different. It's for otaku.
And not just otaku, but otaku looking to settle down with a wife and their plastic figures. In Japan, female otaku are often referred to as "fujoshi" or "rotten girl".
The event will be held in Kuki City, Saitama. The area is now an otaku "holy ground" due to its connection with popular manga and anime Lucky Star. Record number of fans make a pilgrimage to Kuki City.
It's among this backdrop that a match-making party is being held on November 28. Match-making in Japan has a long history. Omiai, which is when two prospective individuals meet for a possible marriage, is still practiced, but has become increasingly less common in the years following World War II. These days, the vast majority of Japanese marriages are not arranged. Japanese folks fall in love and get married like anywhere else.
It is common for singles in their 20s and 30s to attend group dating events called gokon or kompa. Similar events are common in the West.
This otaku marriage event in Kuki City is limited to 40 male and female individuals. The interest in attending far superseded that with over 500 applicants across the nation. That breaks down into 386 males and 115 females. Since these numbers are much higher than expected (and look at all those dudes!), a lottery is being used to determine which 40 nerds of both sexes can meet, fall in love and marry. How romantic.
オタ婚活：主催者びっくり参加希望者500人殺到 男性20倍、女性5倍超の狭き門に [MANTANWEB]