AFP story claims Japan is "getting its mojo back" through marriage parties

The AFP has a story about Japan's new marriage craze, whereby young unmarried people flock konkatsu parties and search for viable partners. The story's headline is: Fad or Crisis: Japan's 'marriage hunting' craze. I'm sure the facts in the story are true, but this is kind of like if a very credible Japanese news organization did a huge story about single Americans speed dating or bachelorettes going to male strip clubs and calling it some kind of meta crisis that is plaguing American society. Women have ticking biological clocks everywhere &mdash why is it that when it becomes a Japan story all of a sudden it becomes framed as a giant cultural phenomenon brought on by strained social lives, busy work hours, and an entire nation "getting its mojo back"?

(Thanks, Walter!)

Comments

[mchiu]

Hmm... could it also be due to the recently aired "Konkatsu" drama that people saw this on TV and were hoping for similar experiences?

[kklein]

Thank you for that last sentence, Lisa. Every time Japanese society is covered in the foreign press, I roll my eyes. What is the deal???

[himawari]

I think sweeping generalizations plague many newspapers around the world. I would definitely disregard this particular article because there's not one piece of data supporting this supposed 'konkatsu' surge. Shame on AFP!