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Marriage in Japan is a legal and social institution at the center of the household . Couples are legally married once they have made the change in status on their family registration sheets, without the need for a ceremony. Most weddings are held either according to Shinto traditions or in chapels according to Christian marriage traditions.
Miai (見合い, "matchmaking", literally "look meet"), or omiai (お見合い) as it is properly known in Japan with the honorific prefix o-, is a Japanese traditional custom which relates closely to Western matchmaking, in which a woman and a man are introduced to each other to consider the possibility of marriage.
A Shinto wedding ceremony. A Shinto wedding ceremony is typically a small affair, limited to family, while a reception is open to a larger group of friends. [1]Shinzen kekkon, literally "wedding before the kami," is a Shinto purification ritual [2] that incorporates the exchange of sake between the couple before they are married. [1]
Ohaguro existed in Japan in one form or another for hundreds of years, and was considered a symbol of beauty for much of this time. Objects with a deep black color, such as those lacquered to a glossy black, were considered to be of great beauty, and many shades of black were used in dyeing kimono, with different shades holding different meanings.
Japanese customs fall into two categories: traditional Shinto ceremonies, and modern Western-style ceremonies. In either case, the couple must first be legally married by filing for marriage at their local government office, and the official documentation must be produced in order for the ceremony to be held.
Kagerō Nikki is the first piece of literature in which Heian social relations and customs are clearly drawn out. [11] The marriage customs in Japan at the time revolved around the idea of "duolocal residence", in which the husband lived in a separate house while the wife stayed at her parents’ residence. [11]
In Japan, each wedded pair has to legally adopt one family name. While either surname can be used, 95% of women still traditionally adopt their husbands’, according to a 2022 government survey.
Families tried to use marriage as a way to increase their social standing or, among wealthier groups, to increase one's influence and holdings. Most often, however, marriage occurred between two families of equal status. [6]: 14 Female virginity at marriage was important in the samurai classes; it was much less important to the lower classes.