[Survey Release] Is Japan in a “connection recession”? With over half of working adults saying they “haven’t made any friends in the past year,” attention is turning to services that create serendipitous connections!
Time left Press release: October 28, 2025 To Members of the Press Is Japan facing a “connected recession”? While 60% of working adults said they “want to make new friends,” more than half revealed they “haven’t made any friends in the past year.” As loneliness and isolation become social issues, services that create “new connections” are attracting attention! Timeleft surveys 1,310 people nationwide on their attitudes toward human connections. Timeleft SAS (Headquarters: France, hereafter referred to as Timeleft), operator of Timeleft, which offers dinner experiences with strangers, conducted a nationwide survey on “connections with people” among working adults in their 20s to 50s. The results revealed that while many people desire to meet new people, in reality, opportunities to do so are limited. In this climate, new services that create “spontaneous encounters” and “natural
connections” are attracting attention.
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URL: https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/164135/4/164135-4-b108da77a0eed9dfdbff802ad92a4714-3900×2600.jpg Timeleft: A service that creates serendipitous encounters Loneliness has become a serious social issue in Japan in recent years, and the “Act on Promotion of Measures to Combat Loneliness and Isolation” came into effect in April 2024. Against this backdrop, an increasing number of adults are experiencing challenges with their friendships and connections with others. Timeleft conducted this survey to clarify the state of human connections in modern society and to gain insights for alleviating loneliness and building better relationships. The results showed that while approximately 60% (59.5%) of respondents said they wanted to make new friends, more than half said they had not made any new friends in the past year.Furthermore, over 80% of respondents felt that it was more difficult to make new connections as they got older, suggesting a growing risk of social isolation. Survey results summary • More than half of working adults answered that they “want to make new friends.” This tendency is particularly high among younger generations, with 77% of those in their 20s. • A new trend?! There is a growing trend of interest in “making friends,” especially among young people. 53% are positive • However, the reality is that approximately 60% of people have not made any new friends in the past year! • 18.2% of respondents answered that they “have not made any new friends since entering the workforce,” and 22.8% of working adults answered that they “have no close friends.” Survey Results Details ◆60% of respondents answered that they “want to make new friends.” This is especially noticeable among people in their 20s and 30s. In response to the question, “Do you want to make new friends?”, 59.5% of respondents answered “I strongly agree” or “I somewhat agree.” This trend is particularly pronounced among younger generations, with 77% of those in their 20s and 62.3% of those in their 30s responding “strongly agree” or “somewhat agree.” While less than half of those in their 40s and 50s answered the same, younger generations have a stronger tendency to seek new encounters, revealing that attitudes toward “making new connections” vary greatly depending on life stage.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/164135/4/164135-4-1c279ef68d0f40b720dd2cb84861d7d5-1920×1080.jpg ◆Even as conversations with generative AI increase, people still crave “real connections” On the other hand, in recent years, we’ve seen a change in the way we interact with others. With the evolution of generative AI, more and more people are talking to AI about love, work, and other worries. Sharing with AI what we once shared with friends is no longer unusual. However, a joint study by OpenAI and MIT Media Lab also reported that conversations with AI may increase feelings of loneliness in the long term (Note 1). So, what do people want from conversations with AI, and how do they feel about them? When asked, “Do you regularly chat with AI (e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini, AI characters, etc.)?” Approximately half (50.9%) answered “Yes.” Reasons for preferring conversations with AI included, “I can talk without worrying about the other person,” “They respond quickly,” and “I can talk casually without feeling nervous.” Many cited the “casualness” that differs from conversations with people as an appealing feature. On the other hand, while people enjoy conversing with AI, 61.1% of people responded that “even if conversations with AI increase, I would still like to have real human relationships.” This shows that even as convenient and casual interactions with AI become more widespread, people still desire “real connections.” ◆ Are there people who are actively “making friends”? It seems that many people are actually taking action to make real connections. When asked, “Have you ever searched for information or opportunities to make new friends since entering the workforce?” 33.8% of respondents answered “Yes.” When those who answered “I’m interested, but I haven’t taken action yet” are included, it became clear that more than half (53.0%) are positive about making new friends. When asked about the actions they had taken in the past year (multiple answers allowed), the most common answer was “participating in hobbies, events, and communities (49.2%),” indicating a proactive attitude toward seeking out new opportunities to meet new people.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/164135/4/164135-4-ac27919d0dca2d79a45578912544557d-1920×1080.jpg ◆ Many people are looking for natural encounters Interest in making new friends tends to be high overall, but when 779 people who actually answered “I want to make new friends” were asked why (up to three choices), the most common answer was “I want to meet people who share my hobbies and values” (30.3%), followed by “I want to have
connections outside of work and family” (19.9%). Notably, answers such as “I don’t have any particular reason, but I want to meet someone naturally” (19.1%) and “I want to experience new excitement and broaden my horizons” (18.6%) ranked highly. These reasons outnumbered “I want friends to hang out with (16.8%)” and “I want to find someone who understands me better (13.4%),” revealing that there are a certain number of people who seek loose connections, such as “weak ties” (Note 2). ◆More than 80% feel that “making friends becomes more difficult as you get older.” While many people are looking to meet new people, it seems that few working adults are actually making new friends. When asked, “How many new friends have you made in the past year?” 56.3% answered “No.” Only 16.2% said they had made five or more friends, indicating limited opportunities to build new relationships. Image
URL: https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/164135/4/164135-4-876dfedd32306a066af8eae2dd5d16c6-1920×1080.jpg In fact, when asked, “Do you feel that making new friends has become more difficult as you get older?” 46.0% answered “always yes,” and 36.6% answered “somewhat yes,” revealing that over 80% feel it is difficult. This tendency is particularly high among people in their 20s. Leaving the “school” community they experienced in their teens and entering the workforce, their daily routines and range of relationships become fixed, suggesting they are keenly aware of the gap from their student days.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/164135/4/164135-4-3b0f43a3cff916a164a3dce57d1b52c3-1920×1080.jpg ◆Approximately 20% of working adults “have not made any new friends since entering the workforce” and “have no close friends.” In response to the question, “What is the most common way to make new friends since entering the workforce? (n=1310),” the most common answer was “work-related” at 34.0%. The next most common reason was
“hobbies/events (sports, music, board games, etc.)” at 17.3%, but even more people, at 18.2%, answered that they “have not made any new friends since entering the workforce,” highlighting the difficulty of making friends after entering the workforce. Furthermore, in response to the question, “When did you make friends that are the core of your current friendship circle? (Please choose the most common answer),” the most common answer was “college days” (31.6%), a trend common across all age groups. Meanwhile, 22.6% of respondents overall answered that “I currently have no close friends,” highlighting the reality that “connections with others” are becoming weaker regardless of age. Note 1) From Investigating Affective Use and Emotional Well-being on ChatGPT Note 2) A concept proposed by American sociologist Mark Granovetter, it refers to the loose relationships within an individual’s social network.
“Timeleft” Dinner Experience Shines a Light on a “Solitary Society” Even though we long for new friends, it’s actually difficult to find the opportunity. This gap felt by many working adults is thought to be due to a decline in the “randomness of encounters.” This survey also revealed that while many people desire “deep connections,” they first seek “natural encounters” as a gateway to those connections. Timeleft is a social dining service that creates new connections through dinner with strangers. Amid these challenges, it aims to bring back those “weak ties”—those fortuitous connections—to society and create opportunities for stronger connections. With “Timeleft,” an algorithm matches 5-6 people with similar values but different backgrounds, and they meet at a designated restaurant. Timeleft handles the restaurant selection and group placements. All users need to do to participate is choose their desired time and head to the designated restaurant. You’ll have to wait until you get there to find out what kind of people show up. No prior interaction or preparation is required, allowing you to meet new people as if by chance. Dinners are held every Wednesday around the world, allowing people who have never met before to share the same time across time zones and experience a global sense of unity. We also offer a variety of other interaction styles to meet user needs, such as “Ladies-Only Dinner on Tuesdays” and “Thursday Toast Night.” Just one year after entering the Japanese market in 2024, the number of registered users has exceeded 30,000, and people of all ages, from their 20s to their 60s, are enjoying dinner with strangers.
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https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/164135/4/164135-4-69f5452ceddc42efb5d38d9121eb6caa-1594×1114.png Based on the results of the personality test, an algorithm creates groups of people with similar values but different backgrounds. Survey Overview Title: Survey on new connections among working adults Survey period: October 10th to October 15th, 2025 Survey subjects: 1,310 men and women aged 20 to 50 nationwide Survey method: Internet survey (Fastask) *When using the results of this survey, please be sure to clearly state that it was conducted by Timeleft. About Timeleft SAS We developed and provide a new social service called “Timeleft,” where people matched based on common interests and values meet every Wednesday to socialize over meals. As technological advances make real-life connections increasingly rare, we offer a “third encounter” that is neither work nor romantic for urban adults seeking spontaneous encounters in their daily lives.
https://timeleft.com/jp/ Company Profile Company name: Timeleft SAS Established: 2020 Representative: Maxime Barbier Japan Market Manager: Rieko Tanaka URL: https://www.timeleft.com/jp