arge city like Tokyo, where people are generally more «forward thinking», dating couples will often book into a «love hotel», a place geared specifically for romantic situations and usually equipped with a bath large enough for two people, video games, karaoke machines and other forms of entertainment. Although the love hotel is an obvious place for sex, some people do go there because it is one of the few places were a couple can be intimate, due to the fact their own homes are often very small and overcrowded with family. People from the more provincial areas of Japan, however, may well cringe at the thought of a love hotel and the forwardness of the Tokyo lifestyle.
Technology plays a huge part in modern Japanese dating rituals. Dates are arranged, rearranged and even initiated via text messages and phone emails. Dating sites are an obvious progression for Japanese people. Some Japanese peopl e will spend days, or even weeks, sending messages back and forth before they ever meet someone face to face. When couples do start meeting in person they will often go to caf? S, restaurants and bars. Some Japanese men will go to great lengths to find out the kinds of things a potential lover likes best before they arrange bookings at restaurants, or even simply meeting at a caf ?. They may even visit the planned venue of their date beforehand to make sure it's appropriate for their date, and make other arra ngements if it is not.
Perhaps the most important aspect of Japanese dating and courting rituals is the arrangements you make. If you say you will meet someone at 10:30 on Tuesday, most Japanese people will expect you to be there at exactly 10:30 on Tuesday. If you don t show up they may wait and wait and wait, thinking some disaster has befallen you, then, if you do show up late, or ring to say why you didn t show up at all, they will think you inhuman and you will probably never hear from them again. [«Japanese Courtship and Dating Rituals» 2007-2013 Love Guide Me]
A traditional Japanese wedding
When it comes to wedding traditions, the Japanese is one of the most colorful cultures. For the bride wishing to adhere strictly to her background, the numbers of details in a traditional Japanese wedding may be somewhat staggering, as can be the cost, but anyone who has been a guest at a Japanese wedding will tell you that the results are more than worth both the effort and the expense. Traditional Japanese weddings are simply magnificent. Whether today's bride wishes to follow all the traditions, or incorporate just some, she has a smorgasbord of rituals from which to pick.
For the most part of people in Japan today, the tradition of prearranged marriages has become a thing of the past. In the year 1991 року, 12% of all the marriages were still considered arranged, mostly in the countryside. In 1 973 this percentage was 4 0%.
Arranged marriages
Until not long ago, marriages in Japan were arranged by the parents of the man and woman. A mutual friend would be the matchmaker. Once both families agreed upon the match, they would meet at a formal dinner on a day that the Japanese almanac deemed auspicious. After the dinner, «Yui-no» (engagement) gifts, meant to symbolize happiness and fortune, were exchanged. The «Mokuroku» was the list of gifts which would be exchanged:
· A «hakama» is a skirt that was given to the groom-to-be. It represented fidelity.
· «Naga-Noshi» is abalone shell which is frequently used in Japan for crafts and gifts. It was meant to express the sincere wishes of the gift giver.
· Money
· «Katsuo-bushi» is dried bonito, a very valuable preserved food ingredient that was used to make soup stock. It expressed the wish that the couple would have a lasting marriage.
· «Surume» is dried cuttlefish, symbolic of good wish to the couple for a lasting marriage.
· «Konbu,» is known for its ability to breed. It expresses the wish that the couple have happy and healthy children.
· «Shiraga» is hemp. It is an exceedingly strong fiber and is used to symbolise wishes for strong family ties. «Shiraga» is literally translates as «white hair.» It is an appropriate gift to wish the couple a long and happy married life.
· «Suehiro» is a fan that opens end to end and, therefore symbolizes wishes for happiness and a bright and happy future for the couple.
· «Yanagi-daru,» a wine cask. Instead of this traditonal gift the couple may be given a cash gift which would be used to purchase traditonal «sake» (rice wine).
· «Sake» casks are exchanged at t...
