JapanCupid

JapanCupid: perfect matches for Japanese singles 

JapanCupid is one of the 35 dating sites owned and operated by Cupid Media. Founded in 2000, Cupid Media now has more than 35 million members worldwide. Out of that number, more than 700,000 are JapanCupid subscribers. Although the site aims at offering sophisticated matchmaking tools to the demanding population of Japanese singles, it also welcomes people of non-Japanese origin. This brings JapanCupid national and racial diversity, though it is an ethnically defined dating service. All potential members show an interest in Japanese men and women and are willing to experience a platonic or romantic relationship with them. If you’re a person of Japanese descent, live in Japan, or just can’t stop daydreaming to meet Japanese singles, you should definitely give this site a try. 

Who can you expect to meet on JapanCupid?

Although the majority of JapanCupid members are of Asian origin, its population is by no means an unvarying. The site is open to members from all around the world which makes it even more attractive for everybody. It gets significant traffic from the United States and Canada, countries with huge Japanese populations. Establishing contact with other people of this decent allows Japanese singles who live outside their native land to remain in touch with their culture and language. A certain degree of assimilation is required for a person to adapt to living in a new country fully, but it doesn’t have to involve losing one’s national identity or pride. What is a better way to preserve them than to find a romantic partner from back home? This way, you are granted with an opportunity to create a piece of your homeland wherever you might live.

The number of men on JapanCupid is 7:1 in proportion to that of women. It’s not the most favorable gender ratio, but given its large membership, this service still provides an abundance of female profiles to choose from. Members are fairly active on this site. At any given time it’s possible to find hundreds of users online. 

Is it difficult to sign up?

Not difficult at all. You’re not asked to provide too many personal details. It suffices to give the first name, e-mail address, and a password. The e-mail address linked to your JapanCupid account can later be changed if you wish to use a separate e-mail for online dating purposes. To modify your e-mail information, simply go to the Settings section of your profile.

Alternatively, you can register via Facebook and upload photos already posted on this social media. It’s perfectly safe to use this option as JapanCupid will never post anything on Facebook without your permission.

New JapanCupid accounts do not go through any verification process, although it’s possible to upload an identity document later on and earn the status of a verified member. Members are not asked to fill in personality questionnaires in the registration phase. Still, Premium members can complete their profiles with personal details and interests after they had purchased a Gold or Platinum membership.

Account suspension, deactivation and reactivation 

A member’s account on JapanCupid can be suspended for a number of reasons that all include some violations of the Terms of Service. To prevent the suspension, a user should contact the JapanCupid Security team at [email protected]. A profile will then be subjected to thorough verification and eventually either approved for use or permanently deleted. 

A member who wishes to take a break from JapanCupid can opt to deactivate their account. This is not a permanent removal of the profile. To reactivate your profile, fill in the Request for Membership Reactivation. After the request is submitted, the site’s operators review it and ideally approve for reactivation. This process takes from 24 to 48 hours.

What types of info can you find in people’s profiles?

Profiles of Standard members are not that detailed, but they still contain up to 5 photos and basic information including your gender, country, physical appearance, lifestyle choices, and cultural background. They also include information on the type of person you’re looking for (in terms of appearance, lifestyle, and background) as well as the type of relationship you’re seeking. Relationships can be straight-, gay-, or lesbian-orientated. And as for the level of commitment, they range from one-night-stands to long-term relationships and marriage. Friendships and pen pal relations are also available.

Premium members’ profiles include personality and interests sections. They enable users to choose from a list of possible interests, add their own options, and to describe their personality in their own words. This is quite useful when it comes to finding a partner who’s ideally suited to a particular member based on their common interests or worldviews. A complex JapanCupid matching system uses a multitude of parameters to come up with someone’s perfect match. These include ethnicity, eating and drinking habits, occupation and income, languages spoken, willingness to relocate, etc.

How can I contact other members?

As a Standard member, your options are somewhat limited. You can reply to messages sent to you by Premium members, but you can’t initiate communication yourself. Moreover, you can never send messages to other Standard members. Basically, your only means of contacting another user are by showing interest, commenting on their photos, or by adding them to favorites. If this feels too restrictive, you should consider upgrading to a Premium membership plan. 

Gold membership gives users access to instant messaging and a possibility to add personal information in messages. They can upload additional photos and make some of them available only to specified members, while hidden from everybody else. Platinum members can have their texts translated into other languages. Also, they can send and receive video messages, as well as browse the website’s database in an invisible mode without appearing in other users’ ‘Who’s viewed my profile’ lists.

Premium membership types and pricing

JapanCupid can be classified as being moderately expensive. Gold membership will cost you 29.98 USD a month if you opt for a single month’s subscription. On a longer membership plan, prices go down to just 10 USD a month when paying for the whole year up front. A longer subscription period allows you to save up to 66% on the monthly membership fees. 

The all-inclusive Platinum membership’s prices range from 34.99 USD a month paid monthly to just 12.50 USD a month on a 12-month subscription plan. Members can choose a payment option that suits them best. These include direct bank transfer, payment by credit or debit card, Pay Pal, and Paysafecard.

Website’s design and functionality

As is the case with all Cupid Media websites, JapanCupid design is simple and easy to use. Its background color is predominantly blue, with the text being written in easily readable fonts. Graphics are pretty basic which accounts for the fast loading of pages and no glitches or bugs with any of the site’s functions. 

Staying in touch when away from your computer

JapanCupid comes with a mobile application available for free download on Google Play. It requires a minimum Android 5.0 operating system to be installed on your phone. The app still hasn’t been made available for iOS users. As for its functionality, the application offers all of the same features as its desktop version. It’s neatly organized and easy to navigate. Users must be over 18 to be able to download it. 

Interesting features offered by JapanCupid

• Cupid tags: a distinct feature shared by all Cupid Media websites. It boils down to labeling oneself with keywords that best describe one’s personality. When another user enters a keyword tagged to you in the on-site search tool, you will immediately pop up in their search results. For example, if they enter ‘hardworking’ as a search criterion and you have this tag on your profile, the site will consider you to be a good match for them.
• Profile verification feature: if you’re interested in your profile gaining in legitimacy, you can upload a copy of an identification document. Your driver’s license or passport will do. As a result, the site’s operators will add a Verification badge to your profile which will make it considerably more trustworthy. This is a quite useful feature especially since there is an option only to show verified profiles.
• Browsing through lists: these include My Favorites, My Matches, My Interests, Who added me as a favorite, Who’s interested in me, Who’s online, Who posted new photos, Who’s popular, etc.
• Message filter: you can specify whose messages you’d like to receive and all the rest will be stored in the Filtered folder on your profile page. 
• Block user and Report abuse: these are easily accessible features from a member’s profile or the messages folder. You can block anyone whose messages you find offensive or annoying and report them as abusive if they break the rules of decent behavior on the site.

Real-life stories of JapanCupid users

Stock Broker (42): Until recently, my life has been all about moving up the social ladder, taking advantage of job opportunities, and having very little spare time. No need to say that this made having any sort of social life virtually impossible. All my relationships were short-lived, and I found it extremely difficult to find a woman who’ll understand me and accept my lifestyle. After I shared my relationship difficulties with a close friend, he suggested I try online dating. I started browsing the web for dating services suited for men like me and found JapanCupid to be quite useful. I’ve been a registered member for three months already (two of which as a Platinum member), and I’m quite happy with the contacts I’ve made. I’m making arrangements to meet with a lady who lives nearby and seems to be a perfect match for me.

Real Estate Agent (46): All I have to say is ‘Thank you JapanCupid!’ You’ve made all the difference in my life and let me realize there’s hope for me yet. I had almost given up on finding a romantic partner when I stumbled upon this site, and in a couple of weeks found my soul mate. I’m grateful and willing to tell all my Japanese friends about it.

JapanCupid: Overall assessment score

In total, we would give this dating site a promising 3.5/5 grade. As advertised it provides Japanese singles both in Japan and internationally with a chance to meet others of similar descent and start a loving relationship. The site offers an abundance of features, most of which can only be accessed through paid memberships. Although having more options available for Standard users would be beneficial, membership fees are not that high and make it possible for the site to operate without annoying ads. This allows the users to focus on the profiles they’re viewing and not have anything pop up in their faces while they’re at it. 

If dating Japanese singles is something that appeals to you, you should definitely give this dating service a try. All the usual dating site warnings apply here as well. As member verification is not very thorough, the possibility of being a victim of fraud is ever present. Potential users should protect their privacy and report any suspicious behavior to the site’s operators immediately.

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