With divorce on the rise in Japan, some couples are choosing to celebrate the end of an unhappy marriage by saying "I do" for a final time at a divorce ceremony before friends and family.
Divorce ceremonies were pioneered about a year ago by a former salesman, Hiroki Terai, who set up a "divorce mansion" in a small undercover space in Tokyo.
Since then about 25 couples have each paid 55,000 yen ($600) to hold a ceremony with all the pomp and grandeur of a wedding that publicly ends their relationship before they officially file for divorce. Terai said he had received more than 900 inquiries.
The latest couple, who called themselves Mr and Mrs Fujii, met near Sensoji Temple in Tokyo's traditional Asakusa area on Sunday and rode in separate rickshaws to the divorce mansion.
"By putting an end to our marriage, we wanted to give ourselves fresh starts and give our lives a sense of renewal," said Mr Fujii, a 33-year-old businessman.
He said he felt responsible for the failure of his marriage as he spent too much time away from home and too much money on his various interests including cars - despite numerous warnings from his wife.
Friends and family of the Fujii couple followed closely behind the rickshaws on foot, arriving at the divorce mansion for a ceremony where the Fujiis smashed their wedding ring with a gavel, a gesture signifying the end of their partnership.
The gavel has a frog's head as frogs symbolize change in Japanese culture.
"When we smashed the ring together, I felt like 'Oh, this is the end of it, really' and my heart and soul felt renewed. Now I feel I can have a new life and start all over again," said Mr Fujii.
His wife of eight years also expressed relief.
"The moment I saw the smashed ring, I said to myself, 'Yes! That feels so good'," Mrs Fujii said.
Terai, who is believed to be Japan's first "divorce ceremony planner," came up with the idea to help couples celebrate their decision to separate after one of his friends went through a bitter divorce.
Divorce is on the rise in Japan, where it was once taboo, with about 251,000 divorces taking place in 2008, partly blamed on the poor economy taking its toll on romance.
undercover: working or done secretly in order to find out information for the police, a government, etc. 秘密工作的；暗中做的；私下进行的
pomp: the impressive clothes, decorations, music, etc. and traditional customs that are part of an official occasion or ceremony 排场；气派；盛况
grandeur: the quality of being great and impressive in appearance 宏伟；壮丽；堂皇
rickshaw: a small light vehicle with two wheels used in some Asian countries to carry passengers. The rickshaw is pulled by somebody walking or riding a bicycle. 人力车；黄包车
gavel: a small hammer used by a person in charge of a meeting or an auction, or by a judge in a court of law, in order to get people's attention （会议主席、拍卖商或法官用的）小槌
take its toll (on sb./sth.): to have a bad effect on somebody/something; to cause a lot of damage, etc. 产生恶果；造成重大损失
