How a 50th Wedding Anniversary Is Celebrated in Japan
In Japan, the way wedding anniversaries are celebrated depends on many factors: region of Japan, religion and local traditions. As a result, there is no single way in which 50th wedding anniversaries are celebrated. However, most such celebrations are low-key.
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Wedding Anniversaries in Japan
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For the most part, married couples in Japan do little in the way of celebrations to mark wedding anniversaries. This is not because they don't love or appreciate each other; it has more to do with how Japanese people have traditionally viewed marriage.
Traditional View of Marriage
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Arranged marriages have become the exception in Japan, and women are gaining ground in terms of equal rights, but some vestiges of older, patriarchal and Confucian systems still remain in Japan, most commonly evident in the family system. In Japan, each member of a family has a set role in the family. Men work; women do housework. In this system, a marriage is seen as a partnership, wherein each partner performs his or her role, helping the other partner.
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Unspoken Appreciation
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In Japan it is believed that the key to a happy marriage is for both partners to fulfill their traditional roles and to understand the unspoken appreciation they feel toward each other. In line with this, couples rarely thank one another for doing housework or chores.
Exchanging Gifts
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Major anniversaries (such as 10th, 20th or even 50th) might pass with little recognition and certainly no fanfare. Couples may exchange simple gifts, such as a tie for the husband and a scarf for the wife.
Living Symbols of Japan
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When the emperor and empress of Japan celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2009, the emperor said, "If there is something that I would like to present to the empress on the occasion of our 50th wedding anniversary, it would, this time, be a citation of appreciation and gratitude." Similarly, the empress also expressed her appreciation and gratitude.
Not So Homogeneous
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Japan is not as homogeneous as some would like to portray it. Each region in Japan has its own customs, each family its own traditions and each religion its own practices. All of these factors go into determining how a couple may celebrate wedding anniversaries.
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References
- Photo Credit regalo image by Renato Francia from Fotolia.com
