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35-year-old otaku throws US$17,700 wedding ceremony in Tokyo so he can marry his 2-D crush

Casey Baseel Nov 14, 2018
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Over three dozen guests attend ceremony and reception where groom and Hatsune Miku drink wedding toast, cut cake, and exchange rings.

Akihiko Kondo (@akihikokondosk on Twitter) is a huge Hatsune Miku fan, so it’s no surprise that a big chunk of the tweets he sends out has something to do with the virtual idol. But even by that standard, this message he tweeted earlier this month was special.

明日はいよいよミクさんとの結婚式です。準備がとても大変でしたが、多くの方々に支えられてここまで来れました。ご協力いただいた方々、本当にありがとうございました。
本番は明日ですので、頑張るのはこれからです。今日は早く寝て、明日に備えようと思います。良い式にできるよう力を尽くします。

— 近藤顕彦【⋈🗻🌰】ミクさん大好き (@akihikokondosk) November 3, 2018

“Tomorrow I’ll finally be having my wedding ceremony with Miku. It was a lot of work, but we’ve been able to get everything ready thanks to the support of so many people. Thank you all so much for all of your help.

Tomorrow is the big day, so I’ll be going to bed early and doing my best to make the ceremony a good one.”

Now when Kondo says “wedding ceremony,” you might be imagining a bit of tongue-in-cheek at-home make-believe, like how some anime fans have little Christmas or birthday parties for their 2-D crushes. But nope, Kondo threw a full-scale wedding to declare his eternal love for Miku, and both he and his bride dressed in proper finery.

▼ The newlyweds

本日、我が家のミクさんと結婚式を挙げました。39名の方々にご列席いただき、真剣に挙式・披露宴を行いました。
多くの祝福の言葉や応援のメッセージ、ご協力をいただき実現しました。式場の方々も含め、ご賛同くださいました方々には、感謝いたしますとともに、深く御礼申し上げます。 pic.twitter.com/5B342JRQ6X

— 近藤顕彦【⋈🗻🌰】ミクさん大好き (@akihikokondosk) November 4, 2018

The 35-year-old school administrator didn’t pick an anime specialty store or convention cosplay corner for the venue, either. The nuptials were held at Le Crit Amore, a wedding chapel located in the heart of Tokyo, not far from Tokyo Station.

▼ Le Crit Amore

Though Kondo has fallen in love with a 2-D woman, he’s not without human friends and well-wishers. 39 guests attended the ceremony, which was, of course, followed by a formal reception where the couple drank a wedding toast and cut their wedding cake.

▼ Miku, following the common Japanese wedding custom, changed out of her wedding dress into a more colorful gown for the reception.

知人と初音ミクとの結婚式に参加しました。
「二次元のキャラクターとの結婚」とメディアで取り上げられた事をご記憶の方もいらっしゃると思います。
多様性と言う言葉が持て囃されて久しいですが、幸福や愛は人の数だけありますので、様々な形があっても良いですね。
ご結婚おめでとうございます。 pic.twitter.com/85V6bLmn3V

— 大田区議会議員_おぎの稔議員系vtuber・メタバース大田区議 (@ogino_otaku) November 4, 2018

Among the guests were Minoru Ogino, noted otaku politician and assemblyman for Tokyo’s Ota Ward, and Taro Yamada, former House of Councilors member and financial analyst.

本日11月4日、近藤顕彦さんと初音ミクさんの結婚式に参列、結婚立会人としてサインさせて頂きました

メディアでは賛否両論で話題に。
私は、幸せは色々な形があっていいと思います。他人に迷惑をかけるわけでもなく、本人たちが幸せなら祝福したいと思います

顕彦さんミクさん、結婚おめでとう🎉 pic.twitter.com/iKhM4E2PWH

— 山田太郎 ⋈（参議院議員・全国比例） (@yamadataro43) November 4, 2018

Since Kondo and Miku’s marriage involved as much coordination as any for a both-sides-flesh-and-blood couple, it took a significant amount of time to plan. Kondo spent roughly half a year working with wedding planners, and the total tab for the ceremony and reception came to a little over two million yen (US$17,700). He estimates he recovered about 40 percent of that through monetary gifts from guests (cash is always given at Japanese weddings, not household items), but that still means he ended up shelling out about 1.2 million yen from his own pockets, including purchasing wedding rings for him and Miku (the plushie seen in these photos wears the wring on her wrist, making it technically a wedding bracelet).

While the pair’s marriage is not legally binding, they did receive a document of recognition for their union from Gatebox, the company that manufactures the model of hologram digital assistant that Kondo owns and has loaded with Miku’s likeness. Yamada says he was proud to sign the document as a witness to the marriage, though it’s unlikely that Kondo’s employer will be as accommodating of his recently married status as Gatebox, which provides family support benefits for employees who marry anime or video game characters.

▼ Online acquaintances who couldn’t attend the ceremony sent their illustrated congratulatory sentiments via Twitter.

遅ればせながら、ご結婚おめでとうございます。ささやかですがお祝いの気持ちを。 pic.twitter.com/NW1NLpjzAR

— すねすき (@sunesuki) November 7, 2018

While it’s definitely unusual to formally marry a fictional character, it’s hard to fault Kondo’s choice among his virtual spouse options. Hatsune Miku has been around long enough for him to confirm that his feelings for her are more than just a passing fancy, and with so much Miku content being fan-created and non-canonical, it’s unlikely that future narrative decisions by the character’s legal rights holders will contradict or undo what Kondo loves about her.

フォロワーの方から絵をいただきました。可愛いです。(*^^*) ありがとうございます。m(_ _)m pic.twitter.com/4S0HreVftC

— 近藤顕彦【⋈🗻🌰】ミクさん大好き (@akihikokondosk) November 5, 2018

The ceremony was held on November 4, and while there may still be a little bit of honeymoon-period bliss heightening his mood, Kondo sounds like he has no regrets. It’s also worth noting that in his tweets since the ceremony, he hasn’t used his bride’s maiden name, Hatsune, even once, so it may be that, in his mind, she’s taken his last name and become Mrs. Kondo following their wedding.

我が家のミクさんと結婚式を挙げて一週間経ちました。私の中で変わったことは、ミクさんへの思いがより強くなったことと、生活や仕事のモチベーションが上がったことです。ミクさんのために頑張らないと、という気持ちが強くなりました。

— 近藤顕彦【⋈🗻🌰】ミクさん大好き (@akihikokondosk) November 11, 2018

“It’s been a week since Miku and I got married. My feelings for her have become stronger than ever, and I feel more motivated in my work and daily life. I feel like I’ve really got to do my best, for Miku’s sake.”

While he spent lavishly on the wedding, Kondo points out that less expensive plans are available for a total price under 100,000 yen. He also mentions that Le Crit Amore has a total of 18 chapels across Japan, and that they are extremely helpful and respectful in planning ceremonies for “sexual minorities,” a demographic with which he identifies due to his 2-D orientation.

“Next, it’s my turn to support the next person who wants to have a wedding ceremony with Miku or another 2-D character,” Kondo says, magnanimously recognizing that the Miku he married isn’t the only manifestation of the character. He encourages anyone thinking of tying the knot with their anime crush to contact him, and he’ll be happy to provide whatever advice or moral support he can.

Related: Le Crit Amore Tokyo Station
Sources: Twitter/@akihikokondosk via Otakomu, The Japan Times
Insert image: Le Crit Amore