Society

Moonstruck: Japanese billionaire's girlfriend applicants top 20,000

Jan 17 (Japan Today) - Applications to become Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa's girlfriend have topped 20,000, streaming service AbemaTV said on Thursday, ahead of its documentary on his search for a "life partner" to take on his moon voyage.

Maezawa, who will be the first private passenger on Elon Musk's SpaceX, has already generated huge social media buzz with a $9 million giveaway to his followers that secured his position as Japan's foremost Twitter celebrity.

The show's application site now includes a "love diagnostic test" where potential entrants can test their compatibility with the entrepreneur, who sold his online fashion business Zozo Inc to SoftBank Group Corp last year.

Multiple-choice questions include "If you rode in a private jet where would you go?" and "If Maezawa farted in front of you what would you say?", with users presented with a photo of the billionaire varying from happy to sad depending on their score.

AbemaTV, backed by online ad agency CyberAgent and broadcaster TV Asahi, is one of Japan's foremost proponents of the reality dating show.

Securing Maezawa for "Full Moon Lovers" is a coup for the service, which aims to generate social media traffic and is targeting younger viewers who are turning off TV.

Current and upcoming AbemaTV shows include one in which Japanese-speaking female contestants are paired with foreign men who don't speak their language and another in which women go on dates with "princes" several years their junior.

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