5 Des 2013

Traditional Japanese Shinto Wedding

It's all about perfection

Oleh Nicole Bauer

Community writer

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The couple with their families and guests walking across the large open space in front of Meiji Shrine's main hall

You will see them walking to and from the actual ceremony, which itself certainly remains a very private matter and is closed to the public.

As this is a very traditional wedding ceremony, the couples getting married here all wear the traditional wedding 'kimono'.

Not only bride and groom are perfectly dressed; the priest and the shrine's maidens ('miko' in Japanese), who lead the procession, look more than perfect, too.

The guests might as well dress in the traditional way; however, this remains their own choice.

These three young ladies were wearing amazing kimono; I was tempted to think that they looked more beautiful than the bride... but no, of course not!

I think more and more young Japanese people prefer a Western-style wedding nowadays; however, the Meiji Shrine in Tokyo probably remains the most famous and traditional place for Japanese Shinto wedding ceremonies. The nice thing is that almost every weekend you can observe bridal couples and with their families and guests as they walk across the shrine grounds to and from the actual ceremony. Not that Meiji Shrine itself isn't worth a visit, but combining it with a glimpse of this traditional Japanese custom is quite something.