[Nyororin]

Originally Posted by XRaptor

I'm especially curious about this study's mention that "it is impossible to find a good partner once they had passed the age of 25." What do they mean by this?

To be honest, that one only makes sense to me if they are referring to *casual* dating. The great majority doesn`t get married until after 25, so it would be very hard to imagine 25 being a cut off...
Unless, of course, they mean completely casual one-night-stand or meet every once in a while type of very casual relationship. People over 25 generally aren`t looking for that type of relationship, so being over that age could make it harder.

Do older people lack vitality that younger people have, hence they don't have much energy to go out and pursue a partner?

This would depend on the person, I suppose. But I think it isn`t so much vitality as not wanting to waste time and money.

Are they too tied down in their jobs and have such little time to date?

I think this is closer to reality. With the economy in poor shape and both partners needing to work to get by, it is a lot harder to find spare time that matches up. Taking time off isn`t really an option when you are concerned about keeping your job and achieving financial stability.

Or could it really be that women would rather live the single life because of their negative views of marriage? That would make sense, women have it pretty hard once they become a wife and are obligated to take care of the household (for native Japanese women, at least).

I think you are a bit off in your understanding of this. In my observance it isn`t so much a negative view of marriage. It is a financial issue. (Women really do not have it that hard in marriage, contrary to the popular western view of things in Japan... Women are no more "obligated to take care of the household" in modern times than they are elsewhere.)
The big issue is that most women end up leaving their jobs after marriage to have and then raise children. This isn`t a glass ceiling as much as an active choice and social expectation. There is a strong belief that children receive the best care from their own parents rather daycare. Even the most progressive women usually leave their jobs for a fairly long period after having a baby.
Now, with pay low and the economy in poor shape, this means that you have to be pretty confident in your finances to even think about settling down. One of the ways to deal with this is for a woman to work and save like crazy before getting married or having children. Saving takes time, so serious relationships get pushed further and further into the future. No one wants to be stuck raising a child in poor financial straits.

I wish this study categorized the percentage of married vs. non-married a little better instead of making the age-range so broad. It would make our speculations a little clearer I guess.

I think it would have made more sense to go by 25 to 35 or about.

Really, if you read it the other way, it doesn`t sound nearly as bad. 41% of unmarried men are already involved in relationships, with 75% of those who are not actively looking for a partner. 50% of unmarried women are already in a relationship, with 80% of those who are not looking for a partner.