The Facebook-based online dating app “pairs” from Tokyo (available in iOS and Android) just announced that it has hit 740,000 registered users in Japan and more than 300,000 from Taiwan, despite the fact that online dating is controversial in Japan (Japan Times). Source: pairspairs has a number of tools to get around the stigma attached to online dating in Japan. Similar social Facebook dating services in Japan include Omiai and DMM Koikatsu, but pairs told Technode that it has outperformed the competitors in terms of number of users and Facebook likes. pairs is currently planning a major expansion in other Asian countries, among which Indonesia and Malaysia are the its most attractive markets. It remains interesting to see what role online dating will play in Japan’s demographic crisis, and whether pairs can replicate its success model in its Asian neighbors.