International Weddings: Japan
Hello! Or as they say in Japan, konichiwa! I’m really excited to be writing this international wedding article on Japanese weddings. For several years now I’ve had this thing with Japan and the Japanese culture. I wouldn’t call it an obsession, but rather a healthy interest. It started with anime, manga and geishas, but soon I became enraptured with the culture itself. A culture rich in history, folklore and traditions.
A traditional wedding in Japan is typically held either in the Spring or the Fall, and almost always in a Shinto style shrine (“Shinto” meaning a place to worship the kami, or Japanese gods), but other styles of shrines include Buddhist or non-religious. A Shinto priest conducts the ceremony, during which the couple is purified, drinks sake, and the groom reads aloud the words of commitment. The ceremony is meant to cleanse the couple and bless their marriage, as well as their future generations. My favorite part of a Japanese wedding is called San-San-Kudo. This is when the couple sips sake from three different cups. The first three sips (san) represent the bride and groom and their respective parents. The kudo represents the number nine, which is considered the luckiest number, and is also the last sip. In that moment the couple seals the marriage and form their new, unbreakable bond. Once the ceremony ends, a procession of priests, family, friends and coworkers follow the couple to the wedding reception.
A reception is held in the couple’s honor, and the number of guests can range anywhere from 50 to 200 people, and is usually held in a restaurant or banquet room, sometimes in a hotel. These gatherings can range anywhere in price from $20,000 to $100,000. The festivities begin with a formal sit down dinner, which is full of traditional Japanese foods such as sushi and rice, and the drink being sake, following the dinner toasts and speeches are given by the couple’s family and closest friends.
When you think of wedding presents for a couple, you think toasters, blenders, etc. But in Japan, the gift for a couple is almost always money, and the amount you give the couple depends on your relationship to them. The bills given to the couple must be crisp and new and handed over in an envelope. One thing I love about Japanese traditions is their attention to detail. The envelope in which the money is given must be tied with a mizuhiki knot, which is basically a really decorative knot used to finish gifts.
The beauty and ingenuity of the Japanese ceremonies truly astound me, to the fullest extent. Even though only one third of the weddings in Japan today are actually traditional, that in no way takes away from the beauty and foundation that is tradition.
Sayonara for now!
-Kristine
Photos courtesy to: Callojoven.com, Jaaj-jo.com, Tokyobling.wordpress.com, Travellingcam.wordpress.com, and Mamalisa.com.
