Ollie Diary day19

June, the 2nd

It's my second to last day in Yono. I'm coming to the end of almost three weeks of staying here. I'm ending as I began: with a traditional ceremony at the shrine. The first was the carrying of the sacred mikoshi, and now it is the wedding of Mako-san and Ryota-san. They got married last year, but now the shinto ceremony can take place.

I am surprised to discover that it is a small and private event, with around twenty members of the couple's close family... and Toto and I, the only 'outsiders'. We were not allowed inside the temple, but we could observe the whole scene from the various openings.

Mako-san was dressed in a magnificent traditional outfit, the shiromuku 白無垢, consisting of a white kimono with thick rolled edges, decorated with plant motifs in shiny embroidered threads, and a large cloche hat that falls elegantly to the sides and hides her face seen from profile. Ryota-san, for his part, wears an ensemble whose top, a solid, deep black, contrasts with the bottom, a gradation of coppery colours, silvered and shining like metallic rays. Both wear fans stuck across their waists.

The priest performed the ceremony for half an hour: he invoked the gods with deep chanting, blessed the family gathering with a branch of foliage, and then each couple, the bride and groom and their respective parents, stood before a small wooden altar, each placing a branch adorned with sacred paper and offering a prayer to the gods.
The priest then presented the couple with a cup of sake, which they symbolically drink. The wedding rings are exchanged on a small raised wooden tray, before the bride and groom unrolled a piece of paper to read out their shared vows. The entire assembly also symbolically drank a cup of sake.

This is followed by a long photo session in a joyous atmosphere. The whole Fujita-san family is adorable. After everyone has left for lunch, I bought an omamori お守り, a cloth amulet with various powers, before I leave Yono myself. It should ensure my good health and protect me during my journey.

So I am pleased and surprised to have been able to attend a Japanese wedding ceremony, which has its similarities to the European wedding, but also differs because of the shinto rite and tradition. This intimate setting in the heart of the temple, isolated in the heights, offered a moment of serenity that, for my taste, is perfect for a wedding.