Love was in the air in a Tokyo park on Wednesday as normally staid Japanese husbands gathered to scream out their feelings for their wives, promising eternal love and an early return home from work.
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The 10 men who were gathered in Hibiya park in downtown Tokyo were doing this ahead of “Beloved Wife” day on Jan. 31.
“Yukari, thank you for taking care of household chores since we got married, I love you and I want to kiss you. I’ll come home early tonight!”, went one declaration.
“It reminded me of my love for my wife and I’ll make sure to cherish her,” said Hiroshi Wakamatsu who apologized on stage to his wife for often staying out late at night.
Although some might feel embarrassed shouting their love for their wives, Namito Ichikawa said he felt no shame.
“It feels great. I was able to express how I feel. She isn’t here but it’s great,” said Ichikawa.
The idea for the event came from a Tokyo flower shop which hoped to encourage Japanese men to express their emotions more freely.
Jan. 31 is now known as “Beloved Wife” day or “Aisai” which is a play on the words for 1 and 31.