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The ministry commissioned the ads to appeal to citizens for money at a time when record government borrowing threatens to outstrip demand Image Credit: Supplied

Tokyo :  Japanese women are seeking men who invest in government bonds, according to an advertisement being run by the Ministry of Finance.

"I want my future husband to be diligent about money," a 27-year-old woman says in an ad being run in free magazines promoting a fixed-rate, three-year note that Japan started selling last week. "Playboys are no good." She's one of five women featured in the page, which says "Men who hold JGBs are popular with women!!"

The ministry commissioned the ads to appeal to citizens for money at a time when record government borrowing threatens to outstrip demand. Prime Minister Naoto Kan, who took office on Wednesday, said he doesn't have an instant fix to rein in the world's largest public debt.

The government's plan to attract marrying-age men comes after a campaign aimed at retirees started last August. That push featured a former TV anchor in ads placed in the backs of taxi cabs who followed Koyuki, an actress and model, as well as posters for government bonds.