They say that the grass is greener on the other side, and this is definitely the case when it comes to describing Singaporeans of the opposite sex.
For instance, terms like “unfashionable”, “no effort”, “unromantic” surface when I asked Singaporean female colleagues and friends about their general impressions of Singaporean men.
Similarly, I’ve heard Singaporean men complain that Singaporean women are “materialistic”, “demanding”, and “proud”.
According to the founders of Singapore-based matchmaking agency Destini IS, however, Japanese women have a much more favourable impression of our local men.
Destini IS is founded by Japanese expats Hitomi Endo and Hiromi Kiuchi, and has the aim of becoming a metaphorical bridge between Singaporean and Japanese singles.
The friends have been living in Singapore for over 10 years now, and Hitomi runs a language school, while Hiromi works as an Aroma Therapist Consultant.
On why they decided to open a matchmaking company, they shared that Japanese women interested in meeting Singaporean men is actually a “trend” now.
“Singaporean Men Tend To Treat Women More Equally”
More than just a trend (perhaps sparked by movie ‘Crazy Rich Asians’), the founders shared that in comparison to Japanese men, Singaporean men treat women “more equally”.
The feelings are mutual, too, according to Hitomi and Hiromi.
Singaporean men they spoke to revealed that they are “attracted to the way Japanese ladies present themselves, with careful attention to personal grooming which gives them a certain charm and femininity”.
Starting Up With No Professional Matchmaking Experience
The duo don’t have any experience in the matchmaking industry prior to starting up, but that didn’t stop them from clinching a partnership with IBJ, the biggest marriage agency in Japan.
“Hitomi had always been interested in getting involved in the matchmaking business, and obtained the partnership with IBJ. [She] is also part of the Japan Marriage Counselor Federation.”
As for challenges setting up, the founders shared that they needed to translate the existing databases and documents from Japanese to English, and needed to pay extra attention to ensuring that contracts were crafted based on Singapore law.
More Than 20 Members Within One Month Of Launch
Since launch on 15 February, Destini IS has seen signups of “more than 20 members”, and there have been “a few initial matches so far”.
“However, it will probably take a few months before any of them become actual successful matches.”
Interested parties can request for a free consultation, but would need to pay enrollment fees should they choose to sign up for the programme.
Their programme comes in 3 different tiers, but all of them include invitations to member-exclusive parties and access to the IBJ database.
Currently, their main clientele are Singaporean men looking for Japanese partners, but “Singaporean women interested in meeting Japanese men can [also] sign up to be matchmade with them”.
Interested in finding a Japanese partner? Check out Destini IS here.
Also ReadThis S’porean Teochew Family Is Brewing Up A Storm With Craft Beer – Taps Up To 6,000 Pints Monthly