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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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眼下正是日本的结婚季，但恋人们不但没有因为经济困窘而一切从简，反而“租借”假扮的亲朋好友和同事来充实宾客队伍。
很多日本人认为婚礼是正规仪式，参加的亲朋好友和同事越多越好。在婚宴上，老板常要致辞，同事或朋友会上台表演，家人则答谢其他来宾。
但如果没人来参加你的婚礼呢？
东京办公代理公司的老板弘水谷在接受记者采访时说：“我们将扮成您的朋友来替他们参加婚礼。”这家公司提供租借宾客的业务。
“也许有位客人临时有事来不了，或者自己的宾客人数与伴侣有差距而让你烦恼，又或者现今有很多临时工，他们觉得邀请老板不合适。”
办公代理公司每派出一人参加婚礼收费两万日元（合200美元）。加价五千日元，租用的宾客会现场表演唱歌跳舞，再加一万日元，宾客还会发表一番令人自豪的感言。
弘水谷称，在某场婚礼中，新郎的所有三十位亲朋好友和同事都是“冒牌货”。这次是新郎再婚，他不想邀请头婚时的宾客。
该公司每年婚礼业务量约有一百场，并有约一千位假宾客待命，这些假扮宾客还可以出席葬礼、培训研讨会等各种场合。
该公司甚至还租借供客户介绍给家人的假恋人，并为想抬高身价的人提供假秘书。
办公代理公司员工的一大重要特点是他们都不出众。
弘水谷说：“重要的是这些都是一般人，看上去是愉快、整洁利落并有正式工作的普通人。”
有时甚至婚礼上的伴侣都浑然不觉。
弘水谷说：“人们都爱面子，不想告诉爱人自己朋友很少。”
“大环境就这样，人们请不到太多宾客。有可能因为这些人很孤独，也有可能是因为人们的工作方式在发生变化。
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（英语点津 实习生许雅宁编辑）
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