zondag 27 maart 2016

Japanese wedding

Taa ta ta taa
Taa ta ta taaa

Ofcourse the ceremony is nothing like ours...

So this saturday I ended up at a wedding. Thomas, a guy I met years ago during our first interim jobs, is getting wed to Haruka, a japanese girl he met in India. (Or another country... I forgat.. sorry T.)

It is a total coincidence I was in Japan when he is having his wedding. By texting him for sleepovers I got invited 😆

So. The wedding!!

The wedding started at 2.30 in a waiting room. Which was basicly sitting uncomfortably at a table till all guests arrived.

Then the ceremony started. It all happened at a shrine decicated to the emperor.
The couple was placed in the middle, familt and friends on the side. There was a lot of getting up and sitting down, japanese mumbling and a 'band' that played the flute in a most horrendous way. 😂

At some point there was like a traditional dance and the ritual drinking of a sort sake and a fish-tasting string to be shared with the one next to you.

 don't mind the baby being murdered there...


The ceremony was concluded with the vows. Then outside of the shrine candy was tossed at the young ones and lots of grouppictures were taken.




Then taxi's drove us to the hotel for dinner. I met some very nice (and pretty) japanese girls in the taxi. They were very friendly and seemed single. I later found out they were married. But in Japan only the one befriended to the couple get invited. Sorry spouses!

The dinnerpart is very similar to our western traditions with a lot of american influences. Like cakecutting and the pouring of champagne on a champangeglass mountain. The surprise act was a cabaret band entertaining the guests. There were many speeches and some tears. Thomas lost his father to cancer...
All the western guests were overcome with emotion, the japanes seemed untouched. The grandparents showed it later in the form of gratitude and the sharing of drinks.




It was a great dinnerparty. Felt good to talk to belgians and share my love for japan.

Troughout the day Haruka had many outfits:




The dinner stopped at pretty much exactly 21.00. At which point the wedding was over. All the western folk stayed and went downtown for a karaoke party. The japanese folk went home... very odd habit if you ask me.

Karaoke in japan is in private rooms unlike in Belgium. Usually interesting for couples because it is dark and private...
But with this big group of friends it was amazing. Lots of beer and highballwhisky, food and laughs. Still being sick my voice was worthless but that did not stop me 😆



At the end I lost the group. Bought some drinks for a few japanese guys. They were overwhelmed by this 'kindness' and simply didn't understand it. Had some more talk outside with random people and took a cab back to my capsulehotel. Even though it was well in the night I had some wellness to relax and have a good detox 😂

And thus a very busy day with loads of new experiences come to an end.





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