Went to my favorite shrine called Meiji Jingu, the biggest shrine in Tokyo (I think) and most popular shrine in Japan for New year's visit (important event for Japanese like Christmas mass for the Westerners). The shrine is in a surprisingly large man-made wood in the center of Tokyo from about 100 years ago to honor Meiji Emperor and Empress (not all emperors are honored like them, but I don't know why they are so special to built such a gorgeous shrine for them). Now all trees are nicely grown, the air in the shrine area is a bit cold and different from the outside. Perhaps it is because of spiritual power of the god.
Anyway, Meiji Jingu is a popular spot to have do wedding ceremony and I saw several newly wedded (well, strictly saying, they are just on the way of the process) couples there. To be honest, all couples are systematiclly managed to process and it seems to me a factory of wedding couples (maybe I am too critical....?). At the beginning of this month, I attended my friends's wedding in Italy, and I felt that everyone was warmly celebrating their new start. I know people I saw today felt the same, but the celemony management is so time-oriented, not the atomosphere-oriented... Punctuality is a good aspect of Japanese, but I think a wedding celemony should be more relaxed, comfortable and joyful for everyone. As someone expecting her own wedding celemony in the near future (keep your fingers and toes crossed for me!), I really wonder what mine should be...
I'm glad you felt that way at our wedding. Not being religious ourselves, we just wanted to share a very happy day of our lives with the people we love most. And because you and all the others were there, it worked!!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing the special moment with us! It really means something to us. Japanese wedding ceremony (my image) is too square and not somthing everyone feels relaxed and enjoys. Yours breaks the rule I had. Let's see how I can be creative and flexible when my turn comes!
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