Yours Sincerely: Singles Charmed By Japan Letter-writing Scheme

Old-fashioned love letters may be the answer, says one Japanese city whose unusual matchmaking scheme has been a surprising success. Singles in southern Japan's Miyazaki are being encouraged to put pen to paper in a low-tech search for their soulmate, part of municipal efforts to boost the low birth rate. The charm of handwritten correspondence has attracted so many young residents that organisers have decided to expand the programme to people living farther afield. Compared to online dating, "it takes longer, and inspires you to imagine the person you're in communication with," said Rie Miyata, head of a local consulting firm commissioned to run the scheme. "It's less about how good your penmanship is," she told AFP, "and more the fact that you write every single character sincerely and with care, thinking deeply about the person you're writing to." "That's what makes letters so powerful," she said.