Shinto Wedding Ceremony Day

What Is Shinto Wedding Ceremony Day?

Every July 21st is "Shinto Wedding Ceremony Day" (神前結婚記念日, Shinzen Kekkon Kinenbi) in Japan. On July 21, 1900, a wedding ceremony was held in the style that would become known as the "shinzen kekkon" (神前結婚式, Shinto-style wedding) at the Kasho-dokoro (賢所, the sanctuary within the Imperial Palace) in Tokyo — the ceremony that established the template for the formal Japanese Shinto wedding. The ceremony was conducted for a member of the imperial family, but the format — conducted before the kami (gods) at a shrine — was subsequently adopted widely and became Japan's dominant wedding style for much of the 20th century.

The Shinzen Kekkon: A Modern Tradition

It may surprise many to learn that the Shinto wedding ceremony — which most Japanese associate with ancient tradition — is a relatively modern invention. Before the Meiji era, Japanese weddings were primarily private family affairs conducted at home, with no shrine involvement. The 1900 imperial ceremony created a new, public, shrine-based format that was codified and promoted as authentically "Japanese" through the Meiji and Taisho eras. The format — including the exchange of san-san-kudo (三々九度) sake cups, the miko (shrine maiden) attendants, and the white shiromuku bridal kimono — was institutionalized and spread to shrines across Japan.

Wedding Styles in Contemporary Japan

Japanese couples today choose from several wedding styles. Shinto shrine weddings (神前式) remain popular, particularly for couples who value tradition. Christian church weddings (キリスト教式), conducted in chapel settings regardless of the couple's faith, became highly fashionable from the 1980s onward. Buddhist temple weddings (仏前式) are a third option. Many couples hold a ceremony in one style and a separate reception (披露宴, hirōen) in a hotel or wedding venue.

The Japanese Wedding Industry

Japan's wedding industry is enormous and sophisticated, encompassing dedicated wedding venues (ブライダルハウス), wedding planners, bridal fashion houses (with both kimono and Western dress options), catering, photography, and honeymoon travel. The average Japanese wedding costs approximately 3–4 million yen, and the industry has evolved elaborate services catering to every aspect of the ceremony and celebration.

Fun Facts

• San-san-kudo: The central ritual of the Shinto wedding — in which bride and groom exchange three sips each from three sake cups of increasing size — symbolizes the bonding of two families as well as the couple.
• Shiromuku: The traditional white wedding kimono (白無垢, shiromuku) symbolizes purity and the bride's readiness to be "colored" by her new family's traditions — a metaphor for adaptability and new beginnings.