The Asian Culture of Matchmaking

Photo by Michal Marcol

I am currently watching a Japanese series entitled “Shiawase ni Narou yo.” It depicts the modern matchmaking processes utilized by the Japanese people. The drama illustrates a company with an extraordinary business. It has an office building with hardworking staffs, just like any other normal company. The difference is with their business – matchmaking. Any unmarried person could walk into their office and register as a member. He/she would fill out a form and dictate the qualifications of his/her ideal partner. An assigned staff would then be responsible to find the person a perfect match. He/she would accompany the couple in their first date and arrange further dating venues if they agreed to do so. In addition, the company also organizes parties for their registered members. It works just like any online dating site, only that it is more of a person-to-person interaction.

I’m amazed by this company. I didn’t know that such agencies exist in the real world. Watching dramas from a different culture could really be an eye-opening experience. In my culture (Chinese), matchmaking does exist but instead of a profit company, a single individual is at play. Usually, she is an old lady who looks around the neighborhood to search for any unmarried person. She would then try to coax that person who meets her eye into dating a certain someone she knows. If the match is successful, then she gets a “red envelope,” which contains money, as a token. Nowadays, it’s not only limited to the matchmaker to do her thing. Even family and friends are able to do it. However, they don’t do it for profit; but for good wil. It is considered a good fortune if a person is able to match two people successfully. Usually, they also get a “red envelope” as a token of appreciation when a successful match is made.

Matchmaking is a very interesting part of our culture, as well as of many Asian cultures. I don’t agree with prearranged marriages, which is very common in the ancient times. Thankfully, this is not being practiced anymore – as far as my culture is concerned. People resort to matchmaking by their own free will. Sometimes, people are just very busy with their lives that they find no time to date at all. Time runs continuously, and before they know it, they are already getting old. That is when they go to the matchmaker to help them find their true love.

There is a very interesting article related to this topic, written by my twin sister cheerfulnuts. If you’re interested with the culture of matchmaking, check out her written work A Match Made in Heaven.