Since Princess Diana and Prince Charles tied the knot on TV in 1981, Japan’s love affair with Western-style nuptials has taken off like the urgency of a shotgun wedding — so much so that today less than 20% of Japanese couples get married the Shinto way. Instead, the majority opt for a Christian-style white wedding in an imitation chapel, even though only 1% of the Japanese population are Christian.
The ceremony follows typical Protestant customs, with the bride walking down the aisle (or as it’s known in Japan, the “virgin road”), and an officiant leading the audience in Christian hymns and prayers (sometimes in English, sometimes in Japanese). For authenticity’s sake, foreign “priests” are in high demand. It’s fairly common for local white guys living in Japan to perform weddings on the side, and while some are actually ordained ministers, foreignness is the essential qualification because the religious aspect of the ceremony is irrelevant in secular Japan.