The Divorce Ceremony

If you thought there was nothing to look forward to regarding your upcoming or inevitable divorce, there isn’t really, unless you’ve had a child together, which means you’ve at least created something remarkable and lasting. You could also throw money into the trash if you wanted, like a few people do in Japan.

A short toast made with tea — to avert any alcohol-fuelled airings of dirty laundry in public — briefly breaks the silence.

“Some people, even after they’re divorced, can’t quite accept that they’re no longer together. This gives them closure.”

At the divorce venue, Terai offers guests a diplomatic explanation for the collapse of the Katos’ marriage. They had drifted apart and, despite attempts to reconcile, “ended up feeling they were no longer part of each other’s lives,” he said.

After a few words from the Katos and from a representative of the guests, it is time for the couple to come together in a final act of catharsis: the smashing of the ring.

Somewhat awkwardly, they grip a single mallet and with a thud bring it down on the wedding band — actually a cheaper ring — squashing it on the second attempt, to half-hearted applause.

The whole thing — which isn’t a legal procedure — costs about $675, with additional charges for “slide shows of the couple in happier times,” which is actually kind of crushing.

[Thanks, TrilbyLane!]