Friendship Marriages: Marital Trend In Japan With Absence Of Intimacy

A new relationship trend known as "friendship marriage" is becoming more popular in Japan, where the country is struggling with a shrinking population, despite the country's declining marriage rate. A South China Morning Post (SCMP) story claims that a growing number of Japanese youth are choosing a novel kind of marriage that is devoid of sex or love. The trend was dubbed "friendship marriage" in the paper.

What Is A Friendship Marriage?

A friendship marriage is described in the SCMP study as "a cohabiting relationship based on shared interests and values." individuals don't typically marry the individuals they love or have a romantic relationship with.

Couples can legally get married and live together as husband and wife, according to the trend. As long as both parties agree, individuals in friendship marriages are permitted to maintain relationships with other individuals. Additionally, they have the option to use artificial insemination to conceive. The SCMP report made clear that homosexuals and asexual people are more likely to follow this trend. The study also emphasized the importance of friendship marriage for gays who choose to pursue this alternative path in Japan because same-sex unions are not permitted there.

The information about this new trend was supplied by Colorus, an agency that specializes in friendship marriage. Its data indicates that approximately 500 Japanese people have engaged in this kind of marriage since March 2015. According to the agency, as reported by SCMP, they have established families and some have even raised children.

The benefits of policy coverage, companionship, and "helping those who feel lost, dislike traditional marriage, or consider themselves social outcasts" are noteworthy, even though these kinds of relationships can occasionally result in divorce, according to Colorus.

What is the process of a friendship marriage? 

This arrangement isn't about getting married to your closest friend or about conventional romantic passion. As an alternative, under this arrangement, couples typically gather together before getting married and spend hours or days deciding on all the little things in life, such as who gets to do the laundry, whether to eat meals together and how much room to set aside in the refrigerator.