Love really takes to the air in Tokyo once a year, when dozens of Japanese shout out their ardor¹ for spouses², partners -- and even themselves -- at an event that's also broadcast on national television.

Japanese have traditionally valued modesty³ and reticence⁴ over outspokenness⁵, but Kiyotaka Yamana, a Tokyo resident who started the "Love Message Yelling Event" after his marriage failed, said that didn't mean they were unromantic.

"The dominant⁶ image of Japanese men is of overworked businessmen, but I wanted to tell people around world that Japanese men are actually very romantic," Yamana said.

The event, which precedes "Love Your Wife Day" on January 31, took place at the Hibiya Park in central Tokyo, co-hosted by a citizen group dedicated⁷ to devoted⁸ husbands.

Most of the 30 or so participants took to the stage, yelling "I love you" or "Let me be with you."Some of declarations reflected the gloomy economic situation: one husband, his voice choked up with tears, thanked his wife for staying with him although he lost his job more than a year ago.

The increased economic clout⁹ of women and changing social attitudes toward marriage, which is no longer seen as necessary for either gender¹⁰, have kept an increasing number of Japanese single.

But for those who have a special someone in their lives, the "Love Message Yelling Event" helped give relationships a boost.

"My heart throbbed¹¹ with excitement. It really touched me," said a 38-year-old Ayako Kikuchi, holding the hand of husband Kenichi who had just finished yelling "Ayako, I love you" on the stage.

Other participants said they found the event emotionally liberating¹².

"I feel refreshed after I yell, so, from now on, I'll tell my girl directly that I love her... but not this loud," said a 27-year-old businessman Kenzaburo Cho after telling his fiancée: "Stay with me for all your life. I love you."One kimono-clad woman, who said she was unmarried, confessed to the audience that she loved herself the most and a single man who said he wished to have a partner amused the crowd by crying out: "Anybody. Please... right now."每年的这个时候，东京的空气里都洋溢着爱的气息，很多日本人会在这一天勇敢地喊出他们对配偶、伴侣甚至对自己的爱。这一活动还会在全国电视台播出。

日本人传统上更注重含蓄内敛，不够直率，但东京居民山名清贵说，这并不意味着日本人不懂浪漫。山名清贵在婚姻破裂后发起了这项名为“喊出你的爱”的活动。

山名说：“日本男性给人的主要印象就是‘工作狂’，不过我想告诉全世界的人们，日本男性其实非常浪漫。”

这一活动于1月31日“爱妻日”前一天在东京市中心的日比谷公园举行，由一个爱妻协会民间组织共同举办。

当天共有约30人参与了这一活动，其中大部分人都走上台，大声喊出“我爱你”或“我要和你在一起”等爱的宣言。

其中有一些宣言和严峻的经济形势有关。一名男子一年多前失业，他流着泪哽咽着感谢妻子这段时间以来对他不离不弃。

近年来日本单身人士的数量持续上升，这一方面是因为女性的经济能力增强，另一方面是因为社会对婚姻的态度发生了变化，认为婚姻无论对于男性还是女性来说，都不再是一个必然的选择。

不过对于那些拥有真爱的人们来说，“喊出你的爱”活动有助于增进感情。

38岁的菊池彩子听到丈夫兼一在台上对她喊“彩子，我爱你”后握着丈夫的手说：“我的内心十分兴奋。我真的很感动。”

其他参与者说他们觉得这一活动可以让情感得到释放。

27岁的商人长健三郎对他的未婚妻喊道：“永远和我在一起。我爱你。”他说：“喊完后我觉得神清气爽，所以，从现在开始，我要直接对我的女人说我爱她，只不过不会这么大声。”

一名身穿和服的未婚女子坦称她最爱自己。一名期待找到伴侣的单身男子大声喊道：“无论哪位，快点……就现在。”这通喊话逗乐了台下的观众。