Akihiko Kondo, 35, married a hologram of virtual reality singer Hatsune Miku. Around 40 guests watched the ceremony between the man and the image of a 16-year-old manga cartoon with huge eyes and turquoise pigtails.

But Mr Kondo’s mother refused the invitation and none of his relatives attended the wedding. The lovesick anime fan still shelled out 2 million yen (£13,645) on a formal ceremony at Tokyo hall.

Mr Kondo said: “For Mother, it wasn’t something to celebrate.”

The singer was present at the ceremony in the form of a cat-sized stuffed doll.

Mr Kondo added: “I never cheated on her, I’ve always been in love with Miku-san.

Since March, Mr Kondo has been living with a moving, talking hologram of Miku that floats in a £2,175 desktop device.

He regards himself as an ordinary married man and his holographic wife wakes him up each morning before sending him off to his job as a school administrator.

His wife turns on the lights when he calls her on his mobile to say he’s coming home. Mr Kondo also sleeps with the doll version that attended the wedding. She wears a wedding ring that fits around her left wrist. Mr Kondo even took the doll to a jewellery shop to try on rings. Mr Kondo said: “I’m in love with the whole concept of Hatsune Miku but I got married to the Miku of my house.”