Kochi Prefecture in Japan has launched a new subsidy programme offering up to 20,000 yen (£93.22 or $125.87) annually to encourage residents to use approved matchmaking and dating apps, in an effort to address the country's deepening population decline.
The initiative targets adults aged 20 to 39 and is part of wider local government measures aimed at increasing relationships that could lead to marriage and childbirth, as rural areas continue to lose population at an accelerating rate.
