Topic: Weddings and Marriage Customs
How does Japan mark Weddings and Marriage Customs?
Everyday topic
In Japan a marriage comes into being when the marriage notification is submitted and accepted, separately from any ceremony. The amendment in force on 1 April 2022 raised the minimum marriage age for women from sixteen to eighteen, matching men — the same amendment that lowered the age of majority to eighteen. The ceremony itself may be Shinto, Christian, a secular vow before guests, or nothing at all; whether to hold a reception, and at what scale, is increasingly treated as an individual choice rather than an obligation. The filing date can be chosen freely, so many people deliberately take the form in on an anniversary or an auspicious day.
What is this topic?
The legal doorway to marriage differs by place. Taiwan requires household-registration entry for the marriage to take effect; Japan forms the marriage when the marriage notification is accepted; Brazil centres civil registration; Indonesia commonly layers religious ceremony and state registration; India offers personal-law routes alongside the Special Marriage Act; mainland China sets the minimum age at 22 for men and 20 for women; and US marriage licences are handled by the states. A ceremony, banquet, and legal registration may happen on different days. This guide separates legal marriage from the wedding celebration before comparing family and local customs.
Sources and dates
Dates follow local time zones, calendars, and official notices. Check the source when a date is estimated or locally variable.