Japan’s free matching app for disabled, supporters marks 10,000 downloads

From The Mainichi

September 15 2023

TOKYO – A free app for people with disabilities and supporters seeking friendship in Japan has achieved 10,000 downloads in two months since its launch in July.

As with other matching tools, users of the “Irodori” app register their own information, such as date of birth and gender, and it has a field to enter whether or not they have a disability. The app has communities where people with similar interests can communicate with each other, and a matching function for men and women. Users’ feedback included, “I have been able to casually talk with people who have similar characteristics to myself.”

The 31-year-old woman who designed and operates the app said, “I once suffered from symptoms similar to ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder). I want to use this experience to help ease the minds of people who are anxious about interpersonal relationships. I hope that through the app, users can find even one person with whom they can confide their suffering.”

The app can be used by people with and without disabilities, and in October, the developer plans to add another matching function that will allow people of the same gender to communicate with each other on an individual basis. The official website for the app is https://irodori.icu.