Like a small but growing number of older Japanese singles, Kawamura has turned to an online matchmaking service in search of someone to share his "second life".

"When you reach my age, the scope of your activities shrinks and you can only meet people within a narrow circle," said Kawamura, sipping coffee in a cafe in Tokyo. "If you want to go outside that circle, you don't know how."

A former taxi driver who divorced 26 years ago and is now 65, Kawamura signed up with U.S.-based online dating service Match.com. last July.

"My horizons have widened and my life is richer because I can make friends," said the goateed Kawamura, who is now dating three women, two of whom are nine years his junior and one who is 62.

"These days, it's become acceptable for people in that age group to talk about marriage and love." said Match.com Japan President Katsuki Kuwano.

Cultural change
The growth of Japan's graying population is partly behind such changing views. Already one in five Japanese are aged 65 or older and the percentage is expected to double by mid-century.

Older Japanese have become more at ease with the Internet, while the numbers of people who have never married or who divorce, often after decades of marriage, is on the rise.

"I think there is a cultural change in the way these things are talked about in the media," said James Farrer, a sociology professor at Sophia University in Tokyo.

"There is a sense that older people are sexual, and it's legitimate to talk about it."

Adult children who once expected to live with their parents and discouraged them from remarrying are also more supportive.

"People are living longer and more families are nuclear. There are more people like me who are living alone," Kawamura said. "Adult children are now keen for their parents to find someone to be with. Then they don't have to feel anxious."

Lingering image problems
Online or off, the search for love can still be fraught with obstacles, including the potential for mismatched priorities.

A Match.com survey showed that Japanese men and women both put "shared values" as their top priority in a partner but men list "similar personality" second, while women cite income.

Kawamura says he experienced just that problem when he first joined Match.com, one reason he dropped out for a while.

"I'd send and receive email and they'd ask about my job. But my occupation is at the bottom of the scale in Japan," he said.

Lately, though, things are looking up and Kawamura has moved near one of his women friends so they can get to know each other better. But he's not in a rush.

"The most basic thing is to be honest. And to be patient."