A "status-gap marriage" is one in which there is a clear gap in income, pedigree, social status, etc. between the husband and wife. The phrase usually refers to marriages in which a woman marries "beneath herself," such as the marriage between Japanese actress Norika Fujiwara and her husband, the lesser-known comedian¹ Tomonori Jinnai. They ended in divorce in 2009.

Status-gap marriage（格差婚）指夫妻双方在收入、家庭条件、社会地位等方面相差悬殊的婚姻，多指女方“下嫁”的情况。比如，日本女星藤原纪香与不太知名的喜剧演员阵内智则的婚姻就被看作是格差婚。两人最终于2009年离婚。