While divorce in Japan is increasing at what some people might call an alarming rate, it is still less common than it is in most Western countries, particularly the U.S., where it's projected that between half and two-thirds of all couples who marry this year will someday split.
What's interesting is that Japan is the easiest place in the world to get a divorce. If both spouses agree to separate, all they have to do is go to their local government office and apply their hanko to the proper documents. In less than a day it's all over but the tears: no trial separation, no counseling, no weekends in Tijuana.
Those contemplating the big D can even do it on television, on Fuji TV's "Aisuru Futari/Wakareru Futari" (Mondays at 7 p.m.). It's not quite as dramatic as the old "Divorce Court" series in the U.S., which were re-enactments using actors. On "Aisuru," couples thinking about divorce describe their situation to a panel of celebrities who give them advice. In the end, if the couple decides to go for it, they whip out the documents right there and affix their seals. The divorce isn't final until they bring the papers to the proper authorities, but it's the thought that counts.