“Reiko and I met a few times,” says Shiraishi, 61. “I had a lot of inhibitions, and she coached me on meeting people and introducing myself. She even went into a large Tokyo-based dating service I had been using without success, and re-did my profile and pictures with me, which really helped.”

A lot of Mimasaka singles run into same problems, Ando said.

“Most of people I work with are divorced and in rural area with no idea what to do,” Ando explains. “They need to figure out what their interests are outside of couple — many might not even be used to buying their own clothes.

“We tell them dos and don’ts of dating — yes, we’re here to introduce our clients to people, but we’re also here to work on whatever’s holding them back. We’re a support system.”

A support system, it should be noted, with a hefty price tag — fees for The Fantasy Cupid Dater’s customized matchmaking can run anywhere from $1000 to $10,000. The company’s speed-dating events cost about $300 each.

Yet for those who’d rather shop from home, Internet offers a bevy of convenient dating services that allow you to browse other users’ profiles while posting your own pictures and personal information. While there are thousands of services to choose from, one company stands head and shoulders above competition where Mimasaka is concerned.

At one of major Internet provider’s Personals section, a single click brings profiles from literally hundreds of singles in Mimasaka, with inclusion of nearby cities increasing selection exponentially.

More importantly, all ages and lifestyles are represented en masse — whether you’re straight or gay, 18 or 80, there’s undoubtedly an Mimasaka resident worth checking out on Yahoo! Personals. Though creating a profile and browsing others is free, e-mailing and instant messaging said singles costs anywhere from 3,000 yen a month to 10,000 yen a year.

A word of warning, however: while most online dating services are a pay-to-play venture, there are also free alternatives that offer almost identical opportunities, sometimes with even greater results.

For instance, there is a completely free networking service that allows individuals to post profiles with pictures, bios, Web blogs and more, and service’s “browse” feature allows members to search profiles by age, location, keywords — and relationship status.

When this type of networking service search for Mimasaka-area singles interested in dating returns over 250 hits for free, it’s hard to imagine paying for a service. For slightly more adventurous, free classified-ad sites may boast indescribably huge readerships in Mimasaka area, as well as ad forums ranging from “strictly platonic” to risqué “casual encounters.”

In end, Matsuda and Mizushima are probably right — a town like Mimasaka will never have same singles scene as a city like Okayama City. But maybe that’s not so bad. The big cities keep their cover charges and two-drink minimums, their greasy karaoke bars and snobby brushoffs.

Mimasaka residents got other options.

So you must feel only men should have to vie for a woman's attention. This is typical leftist feminist thinking. They want everything balanced among sexes even if it goes against nature unless "equality" is not in their favor. Hey wait a minute, this is getting to look even more like a reality t.v. show every minute!

No Amy, reality follows laws of nature you are trying to fictionalize a bad ending that is void of reality. So you perpetuate more negativity towards yourself and your service.

Now this is a far leap women vying for a man's attention perpetuates more negativity towards me and my services. Amy you have yet to validate one negativity let alone "more." You view of world is tainted by your own cynical outlook. I feel positive about what I do and women and men we introduce that get engaged feel positive about method of their introductions and outcome. But we should stop picture and listen to your shouts of negativity. Does it occur to you that you should be out picture? Mail order bride jokes are almost as prevalent as lawyer jokes. Come on guy, you know that!

I have never heard of one mail order bride joke. But I have heard many dumb blonde jokes and that has never stopped any guy I know from chasing a blond or discourage any woman from dyeing her hair blond. So what does mail order bride jokes have to do about anything? What aspect of life is not joked about? Are you saying one shouldn't be a lawyer because many people make lawyer jokes? Is this your logic? Viewing your website and others like it does not leave me with a positive impression about your business. I don't have a positive impression of other mail order brides websites either, but it is very lacking for you not to be able to distinguish difference in mine. The next time I am with friends and we see a repugnant obnoxious male with a wedding band, would it be insensitive to crack a male order bride joke? Insensitive to laugh at one? Perhaps. Again what does this have to do with anything? It appears you are one "stereotyping" men that marry foreign women. But seeing your website has understandably not made me feel sympathetic towards your cause. Amy I am not asking for your sympathy or support just your non interference; and it is not I with "cause." I am simply for men and women freely selecting who they will marry. You are one that appears to have "cause" against matrimonial freedom for adults. Instead of trying to increase understanding about your service, you seem to want to alienate American women. I suppose you would, seeing as how women do not use your service.

Amy I don't need non-interested parties to understand my services. I run an introduction marriage agency not a public service outlet. The men and women that use our introduction service "understand." Your objections have allowed others to understand mindset and true intentions of those that share your frightening, interfering, and freedom restrictive opinion. You hide your true intentions, which is to limit men from marrying foreign women who want to marry them. You attack without cause or facts. You belittle men and women from choosing how they should meet and who they can marry. You prevented a fair exchange and defined understanding by disregarding every question I asked of you, which makes it impossible for me to continue with your one way discussion void of evidence, reason and courtesy.

Jamie Engage Exotic – Mail Order Brides http://International-Introductions.com