If you've ever had to lock yourself in a toilet cubicle or pile on the foundation in an attempt to mask your tears at work, you'll know how hard it is to cry in peace in an office.

But in Japan, one company is taking it a step further by offering employees crying workshops where they can bawl in peace while men wipe away their tears.

Creepy, much?

According to the BBC, Japanese businessman Hiroki Terai sets aside time in companies for employees to gather in a room before watching several sad clips (of content such as fatally ill dogs and broken family relationships) until they break down in tears, as a way of helping his employees feel more comfortable with expressing themselves emotionally. 

'I have always been interested in the hidden sagas of human beings,' Terai says.

After shedding their tears, men are invited to walk round the room, dotting a large cotton handkerchief on employees' cheeks to wipe their tears.

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The men, known as 'handsome weeping boys' (ikemeso danshi in Japanese ) are said to be in their 20s and must be good-looking – a requirement Terai explains as being 'so different to daily life. It's exciting'.

Terai came up with the idea for the workshop after running divorce ceremonies for couples who were finalizing the end of their marriages.

'The climax of the ceremony is crushing the wedding ring with a hammer,' Terai explains, adding that crying was the most cathartic moment of the process.

'People would come and cry together. When they cried they said they felt really good afterwards.

'The only problem was the perception of crying men. People thought they were weepy or wimps,' he adds. 

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While a group crying session doesn't exactly sound like the best start the day, it's certainly an novel way to break the ice on a date:

Date: 'How was your day?'

You: 'Yeah not bad, I cried with my colleagues as Adonis-looking men wiped away my tears. You?'

*Silence*

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Katie O'Malley
Site Director

Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.