Going to the Chapel...in Japan

If you come to Japan for a visit, you may think it that there are many Christians here.  You will likely see large, elaborate churches in the big cities.  Some look like European cathedrals.  Smaller cities have charming chapels reminiscent of the English countryside.  But while these buildings have a distinctly Christian function, there may not be a living, breathing Christian for miles around.  Even those posing as parsons are sometimes not Christians, as I have known a few of these guys (very, very nice guys...in case you are reading this).  These buildings are instead the store fronts for Christian weddings, which are very expensive and hugely popular here.  Often, brides will wear a traditional white wedding dress for the ceremony and then later change into traditional Japanese wedding attire.  The ceremonies follow the standard Christian wedding and for some reason usually include the hymn, "What a Friend We Have in Jesus."  The receptions differ somewhat from those in America in that guests get served a menu based on the amount of money they give the couple for a wedding present.  Some poor saps just get to stand around and feel silly.  This is just part of the give and take of this culture, and actually no one feels silly except us foreigners who have a hard time coughing up the minimum amount of money expected in these situations (typically more than $300).  (This same give and take applies to funerals where guests who give a decent cash gift get a decent gift in return.)

There are several points in this post, though you may be missing them...One is that Japanese really love American culture or at least the forms if not the substance.  This continues to hold true no matter how bad we seem to be getting.  Another point is that the concept of gift giving and receiving is really different and complicated here.  All I will say is that when you give someone homemade cookies, make sure you put them on a paper plate.  If you put them in Tupperware or some other item that must be returned, a Japanese person will ALWAYS return your container with a gift inside it.  This kind of defeats the purpose.  As for marketing, well, American culture sells, and frankly, there are no interesting paper plates here, like you could find anywhere in America.  Just a thought.  For other great marketing insights, contact us at www.noah-digital.co.jp/english/.