The relationship people: Mediating love and marriage in twenty‐first century Japan.

This ethnography explores the world of professional matchmakers in urban Japan and delves into the larger issues of declining marriage rates and the alienated neoliberal condition. The author examines the concept of phaticity, or the effort to create and maintain contact between individuals, which is the primary duty of matchmakers. The book also explores the online dating ecosystem and the challenges faced by singles in finding romantic partnerships. The author critically analyzes the structural and collective nature of the problems surrounding marriage and offers insights into possible solutions. [Extracted from the article]