Arranged Marriages Make Comeback in Japan
16th April 2012
With arranged marriages back up to 40 per cent, business has been brisk for photo studios, who prepare the portfolios which are shown to potential suitors.
Women pose in a kimono and also in informal attire; men wear a suit and tie as well as dressing down for the other picture.
Anxious parents then circulate the portfolio, which also sets out the youngsters’ interests and prospects, to work colleagues, friends and neighbours.
Once a meeting is arranged the couple are normally accompanied by their mothers who act as chaperones.
Polite small talk is the order of the day. Afterwards it is a case of comparing notes to see if there are grounds for pursuing matters further.
We call it Facebook.
April 16th, 2012 at 12:45
Trust the Japanese to find a way to make the old new again.
April 17th, 2012 at 10:35
Actually, there’s less likelihood of finding out something embarrassing with this method than with Facebook.