Because nothing says 'I Love You' like a severed finger:

An unemployed ex-gangster in Japan in love with a 15-year-old girl chopped off his little finger and mailed it to her father twice in an unsuccessful bid to prove his commitment, police said.

Hiroyuki Yoshikawa, 36, was arrested on Monday after the teenager's father told police the finger had been sent to him again, after marking it return to sender the first time, a police spokesman said.

When he first sent the finger, Yoshikawa allegedly enclosed a note: "Please let us go out in exchange for this finger. I will send it again and again until you accept my request."

I find it hard to understand why the father has a problem with their relationship. After all his daughter is only a few years underage and the suitor is only 21 years older than she is. He might be a gangster, but at least he is currently unemployed.

Any guesses as to how many mailings the finger will survive?