Arranged Marriages in Japan

In Japan, there are two types of marriage: the so-called love marriage and the arranged marriage. The love marriage is the type we are familiar with in the West, where the couple meet independently without the assistance of a go-between or matchmaker. The modern system of arranged marriage is somewhat similar to blind dating in the United States. When a young woman reaches marriageable age she and her parents make a packet of information about …

…make the final decision about marriage between themselves, though they seek the advice and approval of their parents and their go-between. Some Japanese feel that romantic love is not the most important ingredient in a successful marriage; perhaps this belief is borne out by the fact that the divorce rate in Japan generally is lower than that in the United States. The divorce rate for arranged marriages in Japan is lower than for love marriages