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It's the wedding season in Japan but instead of opting for a small event in tough times, couples can rent fake family, friends and colleagues to plump up the guest list.
Many in Japan see weddings as a formal event that must be attended by as many family members, friends and co-workers as possible. At the party, bosses often give speeches, colleagues or friends stage performances, and families greet other guests.
But what if you've got no one to do that for you?
"We'll attend the wedding as your friend instead of your friend," Hiroshi Mizutani, who heads Office Agents in Tokyo, a company that rents out guests, told the reporters.
"Suddenly, a guest might not be able to make it. Or maybe you are concerned about the gap in the number of guests you have compared to your partner. Or, there are many temp workers these days and they may be uncomfortable inviting the boss."
For 20,000 yen ($200), Office Agents provides a staff member to attend the ceremony. For an additional 5,000 yen, that person can perform a song or a dance. Pitch in another 10,000 yen and that person can make a speech that would make you proud.
At one wedding, all 30 of the family, friends and coworkers of the groom were fakes, Mizutani said. This was the second marriage for the groom, who wanted to avoid inviting the same guests from the first wedding.
The firm gets about 100 wedding requests per year and has some 1,000 fakes available for various occasions, including funerals and training seminars.
It even offers fake lovers to introduce to your family and stand-in secretaries for those that want to look important.
The key qualification for Office Agents' staff is that they do not stand out.
"What's important is that these are normal people... normal as in they are cheery and clean and look like they have regular jobs," Mizutani said.
Sometimes not even the marriage partner is aware.
"People are proud and they don't want to tell their partner that they do not have many friends," Mizutani said.
"The environment is so that people don't have anyone to invite. It may be that they are lonely and it may also be that the way people work are changing."
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(Agencies)
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眼下正是日本的結婚季，但戀人們不但沒有因為經濟困窘而一切從簡，反而“租借”假扮的親朋好友和同事來充實賓客隊伍。
很多日本人認為婚禮是正規儀式，參加的親朋好友和同事越多越好。在婚宴上，老板常要致辭，同事或朋友會上臺表演，家人則答謝其他來賓。
但如果沒人來參加你的婚禮呢？
東京辦公代理公司的老板弘水谷在接受記者采訪時說：“我們將扮成您的朋友來替他們參加婚禮。”這家公司提供租借賓客的業務。
“也許有位客人臨時有事來不了，或者自己的賓客人數與伴侶有差距而讓你煩惱，又或者現今有很多臨時工，他們覺得邀請老板不合適?！?/font>
辦公代理公司每派出一人參加婚禮收費兩萬日元（合200美元）。加價五千日元，租用的賓客會現場表演唱歌跳舞，再加一萬日元，賓客還會發表一番令人自豪的感言。
弘水谷稱，在某場婚禮中，新郎的所有三十位親朋好友和同事都是“冒牌貨”。這次是新郎再婚，他不想邀請頭婚時的賓客。
該公司每年婚禮業務量約有一百場，并有約一千位假賓客待命，這些假扮賓客還可以出席葬禮、培訓研討會等各種場合。
該公司甚至還租借供客戶介紹給家人的假戀人，并為想抬高身價的人提供假秘書。
辦公代理公司員工的一大重要特點是他們都不出眾。
弘水谷說：“重要的是這些都是一般人，看上去是愉快、整潔利落并有正式工作的普通人。”
有時甚至婚禮上的伴侶都渾然不覺。
弘水谷說：“人們都愛面子，不想告訴愛人自己朋友很少?！?/font>
“大環境就這樣，人們請不到太多賓客。有可能因為這些人很孤獨，也有可能是因為人們的工作方式在發生變化。
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（英語點津 實習生許雅寧編輯）
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