This is Randi Hacker with another Postcard from Asia from the KU Center for East Asian Studies.

And the prize for the most extreme nerd culture in the world goes to…Japan where a college student known only as SAL9000, his game-playing alias, has married Nene Anegasaki, a video game character from a dating simulation game called Love Plus. The nuptials were held at a hall in Tokyo and were attended by 40 guests and a priest. There is a Japanese otaku nerd culture tradition of calling characters “wife” and SAL9000 just took it to its logical conclusion. The happy couple traveled to Guam for their honeymoon for the price of a single airline ticket. SAL9000 carried his bride in her game console, probably in his pocket. Hmmmm. You think that qualifies as foreplay?

With thanks to Mindy Varner for this text, from the KU Center for East Asian Studies, I’m Randi Hacker. Wish you were here.