Sansankudo　三三九度

Posted on by blossomkitty
Three red flat sake vessels, sakazuki, of descending size, sit inside each other. They are red lacquerware with gold around the rim. They are made in Japan and used for the sansankudo ritual in a Shinto wedding ceremony.

Three three nine times is the literal translation of sansankudo. An integral part of a Shinto wedding ceremony involving drinking sake. As you can imagine, Super Sake Boy and I were quite enamoured with the concept of building this ancient ritual into our own wedding ceremony. Trying very hard not to culturally appropriate, I have … Continue reading Sansankudo　三三九度

Romance in Japan

Posted on by blossomkitty
A traditional Shinto wedding ceremony in front of a temple in Japan. There is a large vermillion tori gate in the foreground.

"Japanese are born Buddhist, marry Shinto and die Buddhist" is the old adage about religious tradition in Japan. However, these days it would probably be more appropriate to say "born Shinto, marry Christian and die Buddhist". Ritual is popular in Japan. Religion not so much. Most Japanese consider themselves not to be religious, but they … Continue reading Romance in Japan