The Pros of a Western Wedding over a Traditional Shinto Wedding

Many couples that come from a Japanese background are starting to prefer more of a western wedding than a traditional Shinto wedding. There are several reasons for couples prefer a western than Shinto wedding because they have a different views on marriage. In Japanese traditional wedding both style and culture are involved and that has been known for many years. There are two major differences between a Shinto marriage and western marriage. When a couple is in love and they decide to get married, traditionally that is a western marriage. As in a Shinto marriage, the couple is arranged and told who to marry. The parents choose the bride for the groom or choose the groom for the bride and from there is a contract between both families. Couples today have different views and are not favorable with the Shinto wedding. Getting married in a traditional way or western way, people should be able to choose which one they desire to spend the rest of their lives with.

Shinto is known to be a Japanese religion, starting from the early 8th century. The meaning behind Shinto is the way of kami or the spirits exist in nature and in people.There is a link between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto today is known to be held in public shrines suitable for various purposes such as war memorials, festivals and weddings. As for the history in Japan, the tradition was the husband lives ith the wife’s family.“In the ancient times of the aristocracy, prior to the era of the shoguns, men visited the woman in the woman’s home until a child was born or his parents died, at which time the couple could reside together at his home. This was known as muko-iri where the groom married into the bride’s family.” (Nielson) Those are just one of the fe...

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...rry her, and giving him money so he would accept. They basically compromised and he accepted the consent between the family. If this small scene was to change into a modern story, the marriage would be more like the couples are in love and both decide on getting married. There would be no bribe because it would not be necessary in the situation.

Therefore, it has been stated the difference between a Shinto marriage and western marriage. The difference between the two types of ceremonies Shinto and western have changed rapidly in Japanese culture. Couples have chosen to have a western marriage and ceremony because it is the right thing for them and less expensive than a Shinto wedding. The way traditional marriage was looked upon and difference between western marriages look out. There have been many changes in not Japanese cultures but in other cultures as well.