Cross-cultural marriage: who made the rule that we have to choose only either Western or Japanese-style weddings? There are no rules on this. How about some other style ("on-the-beach-at-sunrise"), or a combination of the two (lots of people do that) or have two separate weddings? The actual marriage is simply getting the legal certificate from the kuyakusho. Some very frugal, practical, unromantic people simply get the certificate and have no ceremony at all. But, in truth, all the rest are just parties according to the wishes of the couple. In our case, we had three: Japanese-style in Japan (my family from US attended), Western-style in US (Setsuko's family attended), and then a Russian-style party at a big restaurant for our friends! In other words, anything is OK. Other family members may be consulted if you want but it is actually all up to the taste, finances, and interests of the couple. It's your life, after all.
Tribes: from my perspective, Japan has as rich a multiethnic heritage as anyone. Where did the early Yamato Japanese originally come from? (Korea? Island communities? A common mainland Asian ancestor?) The indigenous Ainu people, burakumin groups, Ryukyu islanders, North Island natives, ethnic Koreans, ethnic Chinese, and various other groups must feel insulted and invisible when politicians in Tokyo declare Japan to be "homogeneous." Since everyone knows of these various groups in Japan, such declarations must demonstrate a fully conscious attempt to erase the histories, cultures, languages, and, most of all, potential political power/voices of these groups. (This "racial purity" stuff has been tried at several points in US history, each time being proven wrong-headed) Am I just a misguided gaijin or does this perspective sound possible? Let us know your ideas on these things. I am eager to be re-educated if I am getting something wrong. Whaddaya think? Blog on, y'all!
Hiroko: good research! My mother was Cajun, born in Louisiana, and didn't speak English until she went off to public school. My grandmother and grandfather, also born in Louisiana, only spoke Cajun French. Southwest Louisiana is a very unusual pocket of culture and language in multicultural America.
