Last updated on November 23, 2025
No, it is not legally allowed in Japan to marry an anime character—even through a virtual ceremony.
But that hasn’t stopped people from trying.
The Rise of Virtual Love
In 2018, a Japanese man named Akihiko Kondo made international headlines when he held a wedding ceremony with Hatsune Miku, a virtual pop star created by Crypton Future Media. The ceremony was officiated by Gatebox, a company that specializes in virtual home assistants. Kondo received a certificate of marriage—not from the government, but from Gatebox itself. The certificate explicitly stated that it was not legally binding.
This kind of symbolic union is part of a broader cultural phenomenon in Japan known as “nijikon” (short for “2D complex”), where individuals form emotional attachments to fictional characters. While these relationships are deeply personal and often meaningful to those involved, they remain outside the scope of Japanese family law.
What the Law Says
Under Japan’s Civil Code, marriage is defined as a union between two human individuals who consent to the relationship and register it with the local government office. Article 739 of the Civil Code requires both parties to submit a marriage notification to the municipal office, and both must be physically present or represented by legal proxies. Fictional characters, no matter how beloved, cannot fulfill these legal requirements.
The Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications have not issued any exceptions or amendments that would allow virtual or symbolic marriages to be recognized under Japanese law. As of now, only human-to-human marriages are legally valid in Japan.
Academic Perspective
A 2021 paper published by the International Research Center for Japanese Studies (Nichibunken) explored the cultural implications of virtual relationships in Japan. The study noted that while these unions are not legally recognized, they reflect evolving notions of intimacy and identity in a hyper-digitized society. The researchers emphasized that such practices are more about personal expression than legal recognition.
So, Can You Marry an Anime Character in Japan?
You can hold a ceremony. You can get a certificate from a private company. You can even live with a hologram in your apartment. But legally? No. Japan does not recognize marriages to fictional characters, anime or otherwise.
Still, for many, the emotional bond is real—and that’s enough.
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Sources
Japan Review, Vol. 39
https://www.nichibun.ac.jp/en/publications/data/jare/
Publication date: 2021
Gatebox Symbolic Marriage Certificate Announcement
https://www.gatebox.ai/news/20171122-recruit
Publication date: November 21, 2017
Japanese Civil Code – Ministry of Justice
https://www.moj.go.jp/EN/MINJI/minji07_00218.html
Publication date: April 1, 2022 (effective date of amendment)