Friendship Marriage: The New Relationship Trend
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10 May 2024
A new relationship trend called "friendship marriage" is gaining popularity among young people in Japan
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Thousands of people, precisely around 1% of Japan's population of 124 million, are choosing this kind of relationship that is based on shared values and interests
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In friendship marriage, people enter into a cohabitating relationship without the involvement of romance or physical intimacy, as per SCMP
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Partners are legally spouses and can live together or separately. They can also decide to have children through artificial insemination
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In this relationship, both individuals are also free to pursue romantic relationships with other people outside the marriage, as long as there is a mutual agreement
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“Friendship marriage is like finding a roommate with similar interests," said an individual who has been in such an arrangement for three years
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Under this arrangement, couples usually meet before marriage and spend hours or days to get to know one another better
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They decide on small yet important matters of the household they are going to build, including expenses and household chores
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People interested in this type of relationship are on average 32.5 years old with incomes exceeding Japan's national average
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This trend is gaining traction among asexual individuals, homosexuals, and heterosexuals who are disillusioned with traditional marriage
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