During the ancient times, Japanese marriage ceremonies got celebrated with relatives and neighbors around low dining tables (Goldstein-Gidoni 35). The traditional Japanese culture evolved over the centuries, and they began conducting marriage ceremonies it shrines, ceremony halls, and hotels (Goldstein-Gidoni 35). The traditional Japanese marriage ceremony is often performed in the Shinto style, and it is usually conducted at the shrine under the watch of a Shinto priest. The Shinto ceremony is both formal and private, attended by close family members and a few guests (Shida 195).
The most common tradition during the Shinto marriage ceremony is the ‘san san ku do,’ which involves the exchange of nuptial cups. In Japanese, san implies three, and ku means nine. San san ku, therefore, implies three, three, nine (Shida 197). Within the marriage ritual context, it implies that both the bride and the groom drink sake three times from three sake cups of different sizes, known as sakazuki (Shida 197). The exchanging of cups symbolizes the exchange of marriage vows between the bride and the groom. The parents of both the groom and the bride also take sips of the sake, which symbolize the sealing of the relationship between the two families. Every parent takes three sake sips from every cup (Shida 198). The first three sips symbolize the three couples (the new couple, the bride’s parents, and the groom’s parents). The second three sips symbolize the flaws of passion, hatred, and ignorance, while the last three sips symbolize the freedom from the flaws (Shida 198).
Most traditional Japanese marriage ceremony locations have rooms with small Shinto shrines, where the bride and the groom can conduct their marriage vows. Before the vows, a purification ritual is often performed, and the marriage ceremony ends with symbolic offerings of Sakaki (small tree twigs) to God after the ‘san san ku do’ (Goldstein-Gidoni 39). Physical labor was highly valued in ancient Japan, and the groom used to live with the family of the bride to provide labor for a specific period, a practice known as muko-iri. However, the muko-iri practice got replaced during the fourteenth century by yome-iri (the custom of the woman getting married into the man’s family) (Goldstein-Gidoni 40).
The traditional Japanese marriage rituals usually incorporate items and activities that have significant symbolic meanings. The use of bamboo, for example, often represents purity and prosperity due to its simple elegance and strength (Shida 199). Also, the mizuhiki knot provided at a traditional Japanese marriage ceremony usually has a crane-like shape, which symbolizes long life and prosperity. Mizuhiki is a term referring to decorations in traditional Japanese culture (Shida 201). The traditional Japanese marriage rituals also involve the exchange of lucky objects between the bride and the groom during their engagement. The lucky objects may include ceremonial money (Kinpo-zutsumi); preserved foods (such as dried bonito or Katsuobushi, which symbolize lasting quality); a fan (Suehiro), which signifies happiness; and a linen thread (Tomoshiraga), which represent strong marriage ties (Shida 202).
The Shinto reception often involves a frequent change of outfits by the bride (from kimonos to dresses), a practice known as gironaoshi. The cloth-changing tradition dates from the fourteenth century and signifies the readiness of the bride to return to or embrace everyday life (Goldstein-Gidoni 35). The bride usually wears a long white, colorful, and embroidered kimono at a Shinto reception, and she may then change into other wedding dresses, such as western-style white dress, an evening dress, or party dress (Goldstein-Gidoni 35). It is also a tradition for the marrying couple to toast all the present guests before the final cake-cutting event, and the cake is traditionally large and tall. The traditional Japanese marriage ceremony ends with the guests giving valuables, wrapped in beautifully decorated small packages, to the newly married couple (Shida 204).
Works Cited
Goldstein-Gidoni, Ofra. "The Production of Tradition and Culture in The Japanese Wedding Enterprise." ETHNOS 65.1 (2000): 35-55. Web. 1 June 2018.
Shida, Kiyoshi. "The Shintoist Wedding Ceremony in Japan: An Invented Tradition." Media, Culture & Society 21.2 (1999): 195-204. Web. 1 June 2018.
