‘Love Village’ is a warts-and-all take on the realities of middle-aged romance

The third season of "Love Village" was filmed in and around a farmhouse in Shizuoka Prefecture and brought together a group of men and women over 35 to look for a partner for life. | COURTESY OF NETFLIX

Nov 14, 2026

[Editor’s note: This article contains spoilers for season three of “Love Village.”]

After 23 episodes of “Love Village,” you, too, may start to hum The Police’s “Every Breath You Take” with a swell of emotion whenever you catch sight of Mount Fuji. The 1980s hit is the musical leitmotif of the Netflix reality show’s third season, proving to be a poignant and versatile soundtrack for interpersonal dramas big and small.

On the surface, “Love Village” hasn’t changed its formula since it debuted in 2023. The show’s third season opens with eight participants meeting for the first time at a remote kominka (traditional Japanese home), this time in Shizuoka Prefecture at the foot of Japan’s most sacred mountain. Their goal? To cohabitate and engage in some light home renovation — their smartphones and devices confiscated — while looking for a life partner among the cohort.

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