日本的契りのかわし方／Japanese style wedding

This is the second wedding I have been to in this month only !!
Japanese traditional wedding is such a hassle! ( but so much fun)
A wedding is absolutely formal matter and there are so many unspoken rules, which you are supposed to know as an adult common decency. No one actually tells you.
First of all, money is big issue.
You have to consider how much you are supposed to "gift" for the reception.
It depends on how close to the couple or how much actually the wedding SEEMS to cost.
You may not know how much but if you are adult enough you have to guess from the number of people invited and how famous the wedding reception hall is. You can certainly know the grade of the reception by the name.



Usual gift money range should be around 20000yen-30000yen.
There is another rule when you choose to gift 20000yen instead of 30000yen due to your financial situation.
Let's think about the number of 2! "2" can be divided. You have to choose the number you cannot divide. Dividing, or splitting reminds, "divorce", so when you gift 20000yen, you have to choose one 10000yen bill plus 2 bills of 5000yen, instead of 2 bills of 10000yen.
I need a get a manual book for sure to know all these rules. You need a written manual or instruction to be a true grown-ups in this country I guess.

No body really told you something like above. This is a fact that you are supposed to know as you grow. That is the most difficult part.
Otherwise people see you as a sad person or something, but they will still not tell you. These rules draw border.
I do not even remember who I have learned these rules from.

As for the todays wedding,it was authentic Japanese wedding with Shinto style called Shinzen at Meijijingu shrine.
I have never seen this before and I did not know that you were required to drink Sake so many times in the ceremony.
My stomach was so empty and I was so sacred to faint or pass out after chugging Sake every time.
I started to get soooo red and I felt so embarrassed that I looked like a boiled octopus;P


The Shinzen wedding was so simple but done with dignified manner. Not much word spoken but it definitely worth to see. We are prohibited to take photo unfortunately.
Our group was surrounded by the foreigners and taken bunch of photos.
Lot of couples chooses a western style wedding even though they are nothing to do with Christianity. I am nothing against of that because it is personal choice.

We do not have particular religion. we are believer of everything for our convenience!
That is very interesting part of Japanese mentality.
New year we become hardcore believer of Shintoism or Buddhism. We struggle to manage our schedule from new years day to 3rd of January because you should not postpone it after 3rd maybe we go to hell or something...


You can choose either temple or shrine you like. It depends on your mood and your feeling of the day.

On Christmas day we turn to be a very serious Christian and start worshipping blindly Jesus, but most people do not even know who the hell actually Jesus is. The funnier thing is Christmas is a day to make a love for couples.

And for a wedding, lot of couples again become serious Christian even though 100% of couples already broke the promise of abstinence before marriage.
The priest is not even real they are hired as a part timer on weekends with fake beard and bible. (I am sorry I actually do not know about the bible but.. I believe it is fake) so that they can be the closest image of what the most of Japanese people would imagine when they hear the term of the Priest (of course a sect does not matter to Japanese) the matter is a "style."

Do not take me wrong. I enjoy all kind of weddings. I am just very interested in Japanese people's flexibility.

Pls enjoy some photos from today’s impressive weddings.
Congratulation Naomi and Toshiyuki!!!!
Thank you for inviting and letting me share wonderful memory with you guys.

I am wondering what my mood would be like for my far future wedding;)

Good night!

今日は５月で二度目の結婚式へ。
日本の皆さんは知っているかもしれないけど、とにかく日本の結婚式は大変。大変といっても終わってしまえば、たのしかったね、きれいだったねでおわるのだけれど、準備はもとあれ、なんせ暗黙のルールがおおいのである。
わたしはその日本における暗黙のルールとやらがすごく苦手。知らないとものすごく恥をかいて、なんだかしょうもない人のように扱われるのに、だからといって誰かが教えてくれる訳ではない。
代表例としてご祝儀のつつみかた。
割り切れる数でのご祝儀はさけ、２万円の場合は１万円一枚と５千円札２枚を入れること。これくらいは常識だけど、でもだれから教わったか覚えていない。とにかく大人ならしっていることになっている。知っているはずってことを私は知らないことが多い．その他にもおそらく山ほどの暗黙のルールがあるんだろうけど、間違えて恥をかいて覚えていくしかないのかしら。でも指摘してくれる人がいないし、日本、特に東京は放置プレイの町なので、そのままなにも気づかずに笑われて一生をおえたらどうしよう！！なんて入らぬ心配をしてみたりする。

今日の結婚式は神前。初の神前しかも明治神宮。神前行ったことある人ならわかるけど、とにかくお神酒を飲む場面が多く、お酒に弱い私は、困ってしまう。大抵の場面は空腹のことが多いので、たったあれだけのお神酒でも私はゆでだこみたいになってしまう。
私みたいな人は酔ってしまうと最後は全く人として昨日しなくなるので、酔わないように細心の注意を払いいざあの有名な大名行列へ。
すみません、あのみんなでつらつら歩く、なんて御呼びすればいんざんしょ。

花嫁さん、婿さんを先頭に皆様にお披露目会ですよ。
とにかく目立つ目立つ。大量の外人さんがふぁあああああーとよってきて写真とりまくり。寺島しのぶにでもなった気分でした。
って私がとられてたわけじゃないいんだけどね。。
神前はよけいなものを一切省いたシンプルなもので、誓い言葉も短いし、とてもシンプル。
日本人の面白いところは宗教に関してはイベントごとに改宗しまくる柔軟性のある（？）ところ。その一瞬のためにどんな宗教にでも改宗する変わり身のはやさ。
いきなり信じてもいないゴッドに永遠の愛を真剣に涙ながらに誓っていたりするのをみると、日本人てすげーとおもってしまうのです。
クリスマスはカップルがどうどうとメイクラブする日の聖なる日です。ジーザスないてますよ！！っていうかジーザスって何やった人かしってますか？？
結婚式ともなれば、だいたいの人がキリスト教式。いや、あの牧師たちはアルバイトで実は日本語がぺらぺらなのに、それっぽく聞こえるようにわざとアクセントをつけた日本語ではなしてるって噂　”ヤメルトキモースコヤカナトキモーオタガイヲ”（てなかんじかな）
誤解しないで下さい。私は結婚式毎回相当楽しんでます。やっぱり新郎新婦とその御両親の幸せそうな顔、それにつきます。
今日の結婚式も涙あり笑いありのすばらしいものでした。
お二人がしあわせでありますよう。
なおちゃんありがとねー。とてもきれいでしたので、写真ののせちゃいます。

私の将来の結婚式は、どうしようかしらー。（ダイジョウブデス、シバラクソレハアリマセン、アーメン）