Traditional Japanese Weddings
Traditional Japanese Weddings
The Japanese marriage system and wedding ceremonies have many traditional aspects which are incorporated into both the celebrations leading up to and including the actual wedding day. However, overall, the practices are more formalized and structured than those in Western culture. For example, traditional arranged meetings are common in Eastern culture and the parents of the bride and groom have a great influence on the marriage, whereas in Western culture many marriages are formed through two individuals meeting on their own accord. Traditional Japanese wedding ceremonies are more elaborate in ceremony, dress, and are more formal than those in the West. This paper strives to study different aspects of the traditional Japanese wedding including the history, arranged marriages, wedding gifts, the wedding date, attire, the ceremony and the reception.
History
Weddings have not always been a formal practice in Japan. Before 1868, the samurai were the only people who had official marriages. Others were considered married once a man began regularly seeing a woman. This practice was later changed by the Meiji government by forming marriage laws and Shinto wedding ceremonies (Hays).
During the era of the aristocracy, Muko-iri was the traditional form of marriage. In the Muko-iri marriage, the groom married into the bride’s family. The groom was only permitted to visit his bride at nighttime until they either had a child or his parents passed away. It was after this that the bride would finally be accepted into the groom’s family. The groom would often offer his labor for the bride’s family, and in some parts of Japan, the bride would do the same for the grooms family. This was significant for the common people because it greatly helped sustain the family’s lifestyle.
The “Bushi” warriors began to change the Japanese marriage system. The practice of “muko-iri” shifted to the practice of “yome-iri”, in which the bride joins the groom’s
The Japanese marriage system and wedding ceremonies have many traditional aspects which are incorporated into both the celebrations leading up to and including the actual wedding day. However, overall, the practices are more formalized and structured than those in Western culture. For example, traditional arranged meetings are common in Eastern culture and the parents of the bride and groom have a great influence on the marriage, whereas in Western culture many marriages are formed through two individuals meeting on their own accord. Traditional Japanese wedding ceremonies are more elaborate in ceremony, dress, and are more formal than those in the West. This paper strives to study different aspects of the traditional Japanese wedding including the history, arranged marriages, wedding gifts, the wedding date, attire, the ceremony and the reception.
History
Weddings have not always been a formal practice in Japan. Before 1868, the samurai were the only people who had official marriages. Others were considered married once a man began regularly seeing a woman. This practice was later changed by the Meiji government by forming marriage laws and Shinto wedding ceremonies (Hays).
During the era of the aristocracy, Muko-iri was the traditional form of marriage. In the Muko-iri marriage, the groom married into the bride’s family. The groom was only permitted to visit his bride at nighttime until they either had a child or his parents passed away. It was after this that the bride would finally be accepted into the groom’s family. The groom would often offer his labor for the bride’s family, and in some parts of Japan, the bride would do the same for the grooms family. This was significant for the common people because it greatly helped sustain the family’s lifestyle.
The “Bushi” warriors began to change the Japanese marriage system. The practice of “muko-iri” shifted to the practice of “yome-iri”, in which the bride joins the groom’s
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