Getting married in Tokyo

G'day!

My partner and I (we're both from Sydney Australia) are thinking of getting married in Japan - Tokyo later on this year. I was wondering if anybody is able to provide ideas/useful sites or personal experience to assist us in getting it organised. It will just be the two of us. We want to a have an intimate ceremony perhaps a shinto ceremony??

Any thoughts or ideas would be greatly appreciated!

Pinky

First thought: Consult the Australian Embassy beforehand about paperwork/legal stuff (if any).

Mike, I never thought of that! That's certainly the first thing Pinky should do!

Pinky,
If you're interested in a Shinto ceremony, I remember seeing a foreign couple getting married in Asakusa. They were paraded through the Nakamise-dori shopping area near Sensoji Temple riding a rickshaw and Japanese in traditional dress holding paper lanterns to announce their marriage, with the passers-by applauding them. I did, too! The bride was dressed in traditional Japanese wedding kimono, and the groom also in formal "hakama." They were sweet.

I checked a few websites offering Shinto wedding, and the couple I saw were probably married in Asakusa Jinja (Shinto shrine). I found a website of shrines that give wedding ceremonies (private or grand, as you like it), but it's all in Japanese. You'll probably need to check in advance with the help of a Japanese speaker. If you wish to wear kimono, you need to arrange for rental and dressing by a beauty parlor.

Just for your information.
http://homepage2.nifty.com/sakura-bridal/jinja.htm
Good luck!!

Thanks for the info so far, I'll start with the Embassy and check what the legal requirements are.

Also, thanks epigene I'll see how I go with the website but how you've described the one that you saw is exactly what we want to do.

Thanks again!

Excuse me but are you actually considering undertaking the legal union here in Japan? IMHO that would be an unduly lengthy process. If you simply want to have a wedding ceremony - all the pomp but none of the legality - then the links already supplied would suffice, and my common sense guess would say it wouldn't be all that difficult. In fact I doubt very much that ANY paperwork would be required for such a ceremony, save perhaps the Shinto priest might want to confirm that you are indeed a couple. A clear photocopy of your Australian marriage certificate would probably be enough.

Remember you don't legally marry in a temple or church or whatever in Japan. The legal union takes place at City Hall and for gaijin/Japanese couples the paperwork is not immense, but nevertheless inconveniencing. I don't know the laws in Australia - is there an established church with priests empowered to undertake legal unions?

Whatever, good luck!

Thanks for that mr.sumo snr!

Yes, we want to have a legalised union in Japan. Actually the site at the Australian consular site has proven very useful.

I've attached it for anybody else who might find it useful:

http://www.consular.australia.or.jp/marriageinjapan.html

Now, for the ceremony.......

Pinky

That's very interesting! Especially the part that stipulates that you need not register your marriage separately in Australia. That's very accommodating of the Australian government.

You are still looking at a trip to a local city hall office in Japan - so a Japanese-speaking friend is going to be useful. May I ask why a piece of parchment paper from a local government office in Japan is preferable to a piece of parchment paper from a local government office in Australia? I get the Japanese ceremony thing, but not the Japanese red-tape thing.

My wife and I legally married several years ago on St.John's Day at the local city hall - my presence to pick up the final documents was actually more of a matter of luck than design. (I passed my then future - by about 20 minutes - wife driving to the city office building and did a U-turn on my motorbike and followed her - just in time to actually cough up the 4000 yen...the least a man could do...!). My wife, like many Japanese women I have subsequently asked about the details surrounding their legal union, didn't consider her future husband's presence at the city office particularly necessary - she thought of it like a trip to the bank with my inkan and passbook!

The two events we had several months later - one on St. David's Day in Japan and then later a blessing at a small country church in the UK that same year in the summer WERE our wedding ceremonies - even though we DO celebrate our anniversary on St.John's Day.

Ah how romantic , and original !!

I haven't known anyone who'd come to Japan just to get merried , congratulations !!


If you are planning on a shinto wedding then is the bride going to wear a japanese wedding kimono instead of the white dress ??

Congratulations you love birds!
Just in case you haven't thought about it,
get someone to follow you around with a videocam or camera
so that the memory will go down in print as well as in your hearts.
You might appreciate them later on...

I just have to say...I can understand why you would like to have a ceremony in Tokyo, but I can't fathom why you would want it legalized in Japan?

Just seems like a lot of extra running around and red tape too me! I've gone through it myself and it wasn't enjoyable at all! The ceremony was great and a lot of fun, but you can do that without actually completing all of the paperwork!

As far as the paperwork goes, I think preparation is the key. We want to make sure if the ceremony is to go ahead that it will be legal back in Australia. Otherwise we have to do it again (which may be an expensive exercise).
I guess we've always wanted to be different. Also, to include a holiday (honeymoon )on the side as well. We wanted to make it special for the both of us because the tendency is to lose sight on what's important and why we decide to do it in the first place. I have seen my friends having weddings which are huge, cost too much, trying to please everyone and ending being stressed and disillusioned. Not to say that when we return from the trip to have a BIG party to share it among friends and family.

Pinky