Saying "I love you" can be a big deal, but the town of Nagareyama in Japan is making it even more so by allowing people to submit official government "koitodoke," or love declaration forms.
The forms ask people to name themselves and the person they're declaring affection for—oddly enough, the forms are not limited to someone you're in a relationship with. Other lines ask people to specify where you and your love first encountered one another, as well as if this person is aware of these feelings and reciprocates them.
As bizarre as this all may seem, birthrate numbers are on the decline in Japan and this is especially harmful to municipalities that collect residence taxes, so this seems like an attempt to inspire romance and baby-making. People can actually fill out one of these love declaration forms in person at Nagareyama City Hall or submit a form just as easily online.
Love-Declaring Documents
Japan's Government Lets You Declare Your Love Officially with Paperwork
Trend Themes
1. Official Love Declaration Forms - The availability and ease of submitting official love declaration forms creates an opportunity for businesses that cater to gift-giving and romantic experiences.
2. Government-backed Push for Romance - The government's push for romance as a solution to declining birthrate numbers creates an opportunity for industries in family planning and fertility treatments.
3. Digital Love Declarations - The ability to submit love declaration forms online presents an opportunity for companies that specialize in electronic document management and secure online form submission.
Industry Implications
1. Gift-giving - With the availability of official love declaration forms, gift-giving and romantic-oriented businesses can leverage this trend by marketing their products and services as fitting ways to celebrate love.
2. Family Planning - The government's goal of inspiring romance to increase birthrates can be seen as an opportunity for industries such as family planning and fertility treatment providers.
3. Electronic Document Management - The shift towards digital submission of love declaration forms presents an opportunity for companies that specialize in secure online form submission and digital document management.