How to Throw a Japanese Announcement Party

After reading this article, the reader will learn how to throw a traditional Japanese "Announcement Party."

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• French or Chinese or Japanese-style food
• Gifts for the visitors - such as tableware, and confectineries or a sea bream.
• A couple called a "Nakoudo"
• Main guests
• Friends
• Musical instruments

1. A couple who is getting married, holds this party in which they serve a full-course dinner of French Cuisine or Chinese or Japanese-style food to all of the "visitors."
2. The couple also presents the guests with gifts of tableware, confectioneries or a sea bream. The sea bream is a symbol of happiness in Japan.
3. A couple called a "Nakoudo," (which in the olden days, were used to find a suitable partner for either the man or woman at a ceremony called an "Omiai") and main guests make speeches. The Nakoudo would typically be what we would refer to as a "busybody" old couple. Typically, friends of the couple will entertain with either a song or a musical instrument.
4. The main events of the party include the couple cutting a big wedding cake and lighting candles on each of the tables.

Tips & Warnings

• Until recent years, the fashionable "Announcement Party," was mostly for show and the wedding cakes were large plastic imitations and the couple frequently rode in on a gondola with smoke and dry ice.
• Since a more simple marriage has been stylish recently, the secondary wedding party (Announcement Party) has become more popular. The couple now, typically, likes to spend more money on a new house and travel than on a flamboyant marriage ceremony.
• The price for an Announcement Party is typically several million yen, half of which is provided as a congratulatory gift from visitors.