When Love Becomes Digital: Inside Japan’s Quiet Rise of Marriages with Artificial Intelligence

Japan’s social context plays a significant role in explaining why such relationships are emerging. Long working hours, economic pressures, and declining birth and marriage rates have made traditional family life less accessible or appealing to many people. At the same time, social expectations around romance and marriage can feel rigid, leaving those who do not fit the mold feeling excluded. Virtual relationships offer an alternative path that avoids many of these pressures.