The Transition to Adulthood among Japanese Youths
This study examines courtship and activities leading to courtship among Japanese youths. Courtship is an important topic because it influences the chances of eventual marriage. The analyses of the Japanese Life Course Panel Survey show 42 percent of young unmarried people without a partner actively sought a dating partner during the past year. The most popular activity among both men and women was asking friends for introductions. Men tended to engage in partner-search activities when they were highly educated, had a full-time job, intended to get married, and had opportunities to meet the opposite sex. Among women, the intention to marry was the key factor in predicting the likelihood of partner-search activities, in addition to family assets. The effect of the partner search on the chances of finding a partner appears to be greatest for the men and women least likely to engage in partner searches.