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Friday 19 April 2013

A Trip To Japan


   Spring in Japan is famous for its beautiful cherry blossom.  I was so glad to be able to see it when I went to Nagoya (3rd most populated city in Japan) last week, even though it was a few days late for the full blooming.
 








  I have always been fond of Japanese gardens and you can see the reason.











 Spring is not only a tourist season but also the wedding season for Japanese people. On a visit to a Shrine (“Shinto Shrine” in Japanese), where people worship and pray for good fortune as well as hold wedding ceremonies, I witnessed several traditional Japanese weddings in progress.   
  A high percentage of Japanese still prefer a traditional, or “Shinto”, wedding over a Western wedding. Here, the bride in traditional white kimono and the groom in black formal kimono, and their family members were on their way to the ceremony.



 

The white hood-like headwear on the bride symbolizes the bride's beginning to become a gentle and obedient wife.

 

The Shinto wedding is usually a small-scale affair with only family members and close relatives attending. 




   During the actual ceremony, music and dance were performed before the bride and groom exchanged vows.