Think of Raya — the most elite of the dating apps — as the Soho House of dating apps. Most widely known as the go-to celebrity dating app, most of the users have at least a few thousand Instagram followers. So, if you’re lucky enough to get accepted, know that your potential matches are likely big-time influencers. If you’re in Kuala Lumpur, George Town, or any other large urban area, Tinder is your best bet if you’re looking to casually date Malaysian singes. This free dating app is most popular with singles in their early 20s to mid 30s, but it’s worth a peek even if you’re older than that. Pairs is one of the most popular dating app in Japan. Coming from the same company that owns Tinder and OkCupid, Pairs has one specialty that the other two don’t: it doesn’t have an English version. So Pairs was made only for Japanese. Launched in 2016, the RAYA dating app houses an exclusive list of eligible celebrities, high-profile singles, executives and athletes. Each user's profile is vetted by a secret committee to vouch. Tinder is a widely famous dating app among the masses because of its unique swipe feature. This app has ten million plus members from all over the world. These numbers are increasing every day.

Raya is like the hipster, DJ-infested version of Fight Club. The first rule of Raya: You do not talk about Raya. The second rule of Raya: You do not talk about Raya, so much so that the app punishes you for even taking screen grabs. In fact, we're being a little bit naughty by just writing about it. The word has only leaked here and there, but as you read this, the likelihood is quite high that anyone associated with NYLON who has a Raya account is probably getting flayed by folks in black trench coats.

Do not worry: The so-called Tinder for Illuminati has built its cache by flying under the radar. Well, not entirely radar-less, as there are plenty of handsome model types and TV show stars who must've gotten their invites from somewhere, and we have a hard time thinking there is some sort of famous person Listserv that exists. (Is there? Is there a famous person Listserv?)

Here's what we know: The app has been around for over a year—and though it bills itself as a connector for 'creative types,' it mostly has very beautiful folks with 5,000-plus Instagram followers. And you want to see its allure? Watch this: It's very, very hard to get on. (Now, how badly do you want to get on it? See? Exclusivity works.)

So why would the super famous need a dating app to meet new people? Who knows, celebrities are mysterious creatures, like cats... even famous cats. (Note: No famous cats, thus far, on Raya.)

Now, there are regular citizens on Raya, so there is hope for all of us. However, the approval process is not exactly clear-cut. From what we can glean, you need to meet at least four out of the five following criteria in order to be accepted:

1. Have a cool and/or creative occupation
2. Have a significant Instagram following
3. Have other friends on Raya who can recommend you
4. Be hot
5. Maybe be magical?

Fortunately, a few of us have been blessed to have encountered some of these denizens of Raya (or, hey, maybe even got accepted to Raya ourselves, though rule number one prevents us from actually admitting that), and after being slightly starstruck by the company, we started compiling a list of famous people that popped up. Which means, they are eligible and want to date you, me, each other, or maybe a famous cat.

While we have heard that these people have browsed Raya at one point over the past few months, they might not be there at this very moment. Or maybe we hallucinated them entirely. Just kidding—we definitely confirmed their presence in one way or another, but with the app's dedicated opacity, their mere presence may have vanished into a vapor made of lost dreams, smoke machines, and adorable photos of pit bulls. You never know when a celeb might find what they're looking for and delete their account, though. (Notable fact: These profiles were connected to legitimate celebrity social media accounts, so we're assuming they're the real deal.)

See the famous faces—looking for love just like the rest of us—we've seen while browsing Raya after the break, so you know who you might encounter should you get in.

Name: Cara Delevingne

Profession: Actor, Model

Instagram:@caradelevingne

What if you met Cara D. on a dating app? That would be, like, adopting a gryphon on Petfinder.

Name: Ruby Rose

Profession: Actor, Model

Instagram:@rubyrose

Ruby Rose is human catnip, and if you were a dating app, your entire marketing strategy should be: 1.) Get Ruby Rose on app 2.) ??? 3.) Profit.

Name: Sharon Stone

Profession: Actor

Instagram:@sharonstone

Next time your parents suggest that Internet dating is ruining romance, point out that if it is good enough for Sharon Stone, then it is good enough for us silly plebes.

Name: Diplo (Thomas Wesley Pentz)

Profession: Producer, Musician, DJ

Instagram:@diplo

Guys, in general, are super intimidated by Diplo—not only because he's good-looking, but he is also the coolest dude in the room.

Name: Joe Jonas

Profession: Musician

Instagram:@joejonas

True fact: We will follow Joe Jonas anywhere, even to the bottom of a boiling hot volcano filled with booger juice. (Please don't make us do that, Joe. We would, but please don't make us.)

Name: Alexander Wang

Profession: Fashion Designer

Instagram:@alexanderwangny

Being swiped right on by Alexander Wang is the dating version of winning the freaking lottery.

Name: Rivers Cuomo

Profession: Musician (Weezer)

Instagram:@rivers_cuomo

We mean, what could be a better tagline? Raya, the dating app used by the lead singer of Weezer.

Name: Cody Simpson

Profession: Musician

Instagram:@codysimpson

Cody Simpson, you sweetheart, we adore you.

Name: Flume (Harley Edward Streten)

Profession: Musician, Producer

Instagram:@flumemusic

You've got to love a guy who can make you dance.

Name: Moby (Richard Melville Hall)

Profession: Musician, Producer

Instagram:@moby

What can we say? Moby has always been an early adopter.

Name: John Cusack

Profession: Actor, Screenwriter

Instagram:@johncusack

Seriously, marry me, John Cusack, marry me—we are soul mates forever, I promise.

Name: Patrick Schwarzenegger

Profession: Model, Actor

Instagram:@patrickschwarzenegger

We swiped right on Patrick. He did not swipe right on us.

Name: Fred Durst

Profession: Musician (Limp Bizkit)

Instagram: @freddurst

Fred

Freakin'

Durst.

Name: Teri Hatcher

Profession: Actor

Instagram:@officialterihatcher

Secretly—or not secretly at all—we hope Teri Hatcher is just breaking hearts of 20-somethings everywhere. (She probably is.)

Name: Samantha Ronson

Profession: Musician, DJ

Instagram:@samantharonson

Is she the coolest human on earth? There's only one way to find out. Swipe right.

Name: Elijah Wood

Profession: Actor

Twitter:@elijahwood

He's such a little hobbit. Who wouldn't want some Elijah in their life?

Name: Bob Saget

Profession: Actor, Stand-Up Comic

Instagram:@bobsaget

Solid dad humor is a turn on.

Name: Eddie Huang

Profession: Restaurateur, Writer, TV Host

Instagram:@mreddiehuang

Just imagine the dinners!

Name: Eric Wareheim

Profession: Actor, Writer, Director

Instagram: @ericwareheim

How does one pick up the weirdest, funniest person alive?

Name: Hannibal Buress

Profession: Actor, Stand-Up Comic, TV Host

Instagram:@hannibalburess

All we'd be talking about is what the Broad City ladies are really like.

Name: Matthew Perry

Profession: Actor

Twitter: @matthewperry

His profile name was 'Matthew.'

Name: Phoebe Dahl

Profession: Fashion Designer

Instagram:@pheobe

What if Phoebe Dahl matched with Ruby Rose? Awkward.

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Name: Raven-Symoné

Profession: Actor, TV Host

Instagram:@ravensymone

She's problematic. We like problematic.

Name: Ryan Lochte

Profession: Olympic Athlete

Instagram:@ryanlochte

'GUYS. RYAN LOCHTE IS ON RAYA. LOOK!'

Name: Zach Braff

Profession: Actor

Instagram: @zachbraff

Downside: He'll always be asking you, 'And how did that make you feel?' Upside: Back rubs.

Name: Zedd (Anton Zaslavski)

Profession: Musician

Instagram: @zedd

We wonder, would he play his own music during a date?

Name: Bonnie Wright

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Profession: Actor

Instagram:@thisisbwright

Friends: How else can you date Ginny Weasley?

10 dating apps to swipe right or left depending on what you’re looking for in your next relationship here in Japan.

So you’ve moved to Japan hopeful that the dating scene here will be ah-mazing and full of new excitement. You think you’ll find the perfect Japanese man for you right away and things will lead to a happy ending. Or just have some fun for a while. While that’s a great mindset to have, it’s time to get real. Most foreign women living in Japan that want a serious relationship need to put in more legwork than they might otherwise overseas. Shyness combined with language and cultural barriers plus the not-so-little matter of a global pandemic make dating an even more stressful situation than it typically is.

But luckily, we live in an era where you can find anything online—even relationships. A quick search online will show you dozens of different deai-kei (出会い系 online dating) apps, but how do you know what will help you find who or what you’re looking for?

Having been there, done that, I decided to do a quick poll of my foreign friends to find out what apps or sites worked best for them and what didn’t. 15 international women living in Japan gave the original rankings out of five stars when this article was first published in 2017, and five of that same group helped to update this ranking for the dating scene in 2020. It’s up to you whether to swipe right or left!

1. Tinder

One that doesn’t need an introduction. While most people are “just looking” on Tinder, if you’re actively trying, you can not only meet people to date, but new friends, drinking buddies, networkers and activity mates. I found a whole group of men and women to check out summer festivals with, so I can speak from experience when I say that Tinder isn’t just for hanky panky.

In 2020, Tinder began offering its global passport, normally a paid service, for free to all users. It enabled them to better connect and communicate, which for several of the ladies was a huge bonus.

• Language: English, Japanese
• Fees: Free, special features require a monthly subscription
• Original Ranking: 4 stars
• 2020 Ranking: 5 stars

2. Bumble

Bumble markets itself as the app where the woman makes the first move, and if she doesn’t message, then the match disappears after 24 hours. This app also relies on the user having a Facebook profile first in order to log in, which has made it a bit slow to catch on in Japan, but it is gaining in popularity because of its “women get to choose” option.

One of the women I surveyed (and who found her current Japanese boyfriend through this app) summarized it as follows: “There are a lot of guys on there, and most of them aren’t on other apps as well. You don’t find as many fake profiles on Bumble as you do with other sites, and you get to control the whole ‘am I going to bother talking to him’ part, which is really nice.”

In 2020, the app is not just for dating, but also for business opportunities, and making friends too. Within the app, you can switch from one feature to another, which makes it very versatile for the global community, and also a great way to keep in touch and build your social circle from a safe distance.

• Language: English, Japanese
• Fees: Free, special features require a monthly subscription
• Original Ranking: 4½ stars
• 2020 Ranking: 5 stars

3. OkCupid Japan

Billed as “the best dating site on Earth,” OkCupid’s Japanese version is much more detail focused than Bumble or Tinder, with the average time to fill out your profile coming in at around 45 minutes. You can of course opt to leave most of your profile empty, but based on the experiences shared with me, it isn’t recommended, because you’re most likely to remain unnoticed. According to one woman who has used it, “OkCupid has a lot of serial daters on it, so if you use other dating apps/sites, you may be discouraged by the dating pool overall.”

In the 2020 dating scene, it’s still a staple, but the imbalance in users and the volume of fake profiles is staggering. It’s also said to be a hassle to sign up for too, so unless you’re really determined to use it, you’d probably have less trouble with a different app.

• Language: English, Japanese, and others
• Fees: Free, special features require a monthly subscription
• Original Ranking: 3 stars
• 2020 Ranking: 2 stars

4. JapanCupid

Not to be confused with OkCupid, JapanCupid is a part of the Cupid Media Group, a niche-based dating site group, that connects users with people from around the world rather than just in their immediate area. While this makes it somewhat less appealing to users in Japan, JapanCupid is popular with those who will not be staying in Japan for the long term, and with those who are looking for someone to marry—though apparently there are far more Japanese women on this site than there are Japanese men.

Unfortunately in 2020, not much seems to have changed, and when a different friend logged in, she was inundated with a number of obviously fake profiles and soon deleted her account. “Claiming a 20-year-old Korean pop star is really you, but you’re a 36-year-old Japanese man? No thanks.”

• Language: English, Japanese, and others
• Fees: Free, special features require a monthly subscription/fees
• Original Ranking: 3 stars
• 2020 Ranking: 1 star

5. MatchAlarm

MatchAlarm was a Japanese language only dating app that recommended a new person to you every morning at 8 a.m. based on your social information gleaned from your Facebook profile and behavior. You had 16 hours to respond to an alarm, after which it would disappear, and would require three coins (a part of the in-app payment system) in order to tap the “Might Like You” button. But unfortunately, MatchAlarm is no more, and therefore no longer part of the ranking.

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6. Omiai

The largest online dating site and app service in Japan that relies on your Facebook profile (or Apple ID, or phone number now) to search for your ideal match. This is another konkatsu service, so unless you’re looking for a serious relationship, Omiai might not be the site for you. There are 24 points that you can filter your results by, including nationality and income level, which some users pointed out makes this site seem more for sugar daddy searching than anything else, but overall, no one had any serious complaints about this site.

For daters in 2020 with the Japanese language skills to keep up, Omiai has somewhat rebranded itself in more of a Tinder/Instagram friendly fashion, and strictly placed focus on it being a relationship/marriage-centric app. If you’re seriously looking to meet a marriage partner, this is probably your best option when it comes to dating apps.

• Language: Japanese
• Fees: Free for women, ¥1,950 per month (for the 12-month plan) for men
• Original Ranking: 4 stars
• 2020 Ranking: 4 stars

7. Tapple

Tapple is a dating app where, instead of filling out a profile and searching for people, you fill out the qualifiers of what sort of man you’re interested in, and then join different groups based on your hobbies. Then, you’re shown a selection of men who share that interest and meet your criteria, and you can either like, skip, or super like their profile.

While I had some positive experiences meeting and talking to people on this app, when the time came to actually meet in person, the people that I spoke to were very hesitant to meet offline. One guy actually said he preferred to talk and date online exclusively. Other foreign female users I spoke with had similar results, so this might not be a good choice if you are seriously looking to meet someone.

Thanks to numerous updates to a more streamlined, Tinder-like service, plus TV and online commercials in 2020, Tapple has become a very competitive app, preferred by those in their 20s who are looking for a relationship that could lead to something more. Plus, the numbers of people who want to take things slowly and start online here make it ideal for those wanting companionship but not willing to head out on the town just yet.

• Language: Japanese
• Fees: Free for women, monthly subscription fee for men (varies by number of months desired)
• Original Ranking: 2½ stars
• 2020 Ranking: 4 stars

8. YYC

YYC has been around for twenty years now according to its website and still lists itself as Japan’s largest dating service. When you join, you are given an automatic 300 points to use in order to meet and match with others based on your own search parameters. The vast majority of this service’s users are young professionals. YYC is a dating site designed for people who want to combine the blogging space of LiveJournal with the influencer lifestyle of Instagram, so if you aren’t the type to frequently update and message, you might find this site to be more of a hassle than anything else. “Casual users tend to just disappear after their free points run out, so it’s not a place for you if you aren’t ready to commit to the effort,” said one user.

None of the ladies I spoke with still used YYC, so I gave it an honest try, and I have to say, it wasn’t all that bad, but I did find it somewhat repetitive. If your Japanese isn’t up to par, it can be a struggle to navigate as well.

• Language: Japanese
• Fees: Free for women, monthly subscription fee/points system for men
• Original Ranking: 3½ stars
• 2020 Ranking: 3 stars

9. Pairs

Pairs is another online dating site and one that has had numerous TV and train commercials since going online. This site and its related app also uses your Facebook profile but allows you to hide your full name, enabling its users to go by initials instead. Their target audience tends to be younger Japanese men, “so there are plenty of guys to choose from, but those that are interested in pursuing a serious relationship with a non-native Japanese speaker are few and far between, at least in my experience,” according to a user.

“It’s updated a bit, but nothing really major has changed about the quality of the users,” says the same person as above in 2020. “I still use it, and sometimes you find someone nice, but it’s more work than some of the other apps out there now.”

• Language: Japanese
• Fees: Free for women, monthly subscription fee for men
• Original Ranking: 3 stars
• 2020 Ranking: 3 stars

10. Zexy Koimusubi

Zexy Koimusubi is a dating app that is part of a popular Japanese wedding services company. The app overall works on the same principles of matching based on shared interests and uses your Facebook profile to compile this data, but otherwise, it seems to have a fairly high success rate. Whether this is due to their association with weddings and marriage already is anyone’s guess, but of the people that I know that have used this site, two married someone they met on there, and one is planning her wedding now, so make of that what you will.

“I met my husband on this site, so of course I would recommend it to anyone that is serious about marriage, having kids, and staying in Japan. It does work, if you’re brutally honest with yourself about what you’re looking for. If you’re still trying to figure that out, don’t bother with this app.” (Jane, American, 31)

• Language: Japanese
• Fees: initial one time ¥108 fee for women (for ID check purposes), monthly fee for men
• Original Ranking: 4 stars
• 2020 Ranking: 4½ stars

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11. Bonus App—Happy Mail

Happy Mail first began in 2001 but wasn’t a major player in the dating app scene for a long time. According to their website, thanks to consistent efforts over the last twenty years they have the largest number of members of any dating/matching app in Japan. There are just over 25 million people on Happy Mail, looking for everything from pen pals to serious marriage partners.

Based on testimonials from male friends and a few women, it’s quite similar to Pairs but has more of the immediacy of Tinder in terms of matching, so it all comes down to what or how you want to go about dating in 2020 whether this app is what will work for you.

• Language: Japanese
• Fees: Free for women (plus a 120 coin present as some services require points), points/pay as you go fees for men
• Ranking: 4 stars

Before subscribing to a Japanese “serious” dating app, keep in mind that most of them are likely to require you to submit a photo of an official ID before using their services. This is because they are quite literally trying to find you a suitable husband. If that’s your goal, don’t mind the screening! Good luck in finding the best for yourself, ladies!

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Have you ever used a dating app or site in Japan? Share your experiences in the comments.