Is it okay to request an online date even if the profile doesn’t say online dates are allowed?

Maezawa from the Planning Office here as well. There’s no problem with applying for one. However, there is a possibility that it may be turned down. If your online date offer is declined, even if you later change your mind and make a regular offer, she might say, “Actually, I think I’ll pass after all.” It does happen occasionally. So, if you’d really be fine meeting in person but initially prefer an online date, it’s safer to phrase your offer something like: “I’d like to offer an online date, but if online dating isn’t your preference, I’d be happy to make a regular offer instead.” Now that the state of emergency has been lifted, I feel like more people are wanting to meet in person again. The number of women coming in for interviews has also been increasing...

I’m Hikōki, a male member. I think most people are fine with online dates. Of the women I’ve made online offers to so far, six said they weren’t comfortable with online dates. All of them replied that they would be willing to meet if it were a regular arranged date. Of those six, three ended up agreeing to an online date. With online dates, men don’t have to coordinate their schedules much, so being able to make an offer as soon as the idea occurs to you is a major advantage. Especially if something unexpected comes up, you only need to set aside 15 minutes. You can make an offer without worrying about that, which is very different from a regular date and feels like the biggest benefit. Whether you already have an appointment or one comes up later, you can simply shift things around a little or finish early to free up about 20 minutes and still have the date. There’s no need to stress or struggle over scheduling, which makes things much easier. With a regular date, you might worry about another appointment being added later or a work problem coming up that day. With an online date, those concerns are almost nonexistent, which is very reassuring. Since you only need to make a little under 30 minutes available whenever it suits the woman’s schedule—even a 20-minute lunch break is enough—it’s much easier to match quickly and smoothly. I think that’s a significant advantage. If a woman isn’t comfortable with an online date, she’ll usually reply that she’s willing to meet for a regular arranged date instead. At that point, you can simply switch to a regular arranged date, so there’s really no problem. I don’t think it’s a bad idea to start with an online date. Just as men want to see a woman’s face, hear her voice, and observe the way she speaks before making an offer, women naturally want to know what a man looks like and get a sense of his personality too. I also imagine that women feel safer knowing it’s easier to decline an online date than a regular one. In that sense, online dates offer significant benefits to women as well. Since you can make an offer immediately without coordinating schedules, I plan to continue making online offers. P.S. When you consider the reduced mental burden of not having to find a day when you can definitely set aside four or five hours, the advantages of online dates really are substantial. I hope this leads to more offers and gives both men and women more opportunities to meet.