Tuesday 16 October 2012

Travel Log: Fox Wedding in Numazu

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of attending and participating in a fox-themed wedding in Numazu. The wedding was being held at the fox shrine by the Kano River. Volunteers were asked to come along and have their faces painted like foxes then participate in a "fox parade." The bride and groom also had their faces painted like foxes. This was a real ligit wedding; a rare experience for foreigners like me to attend. This is largely because (if a foreigner is lucky enough to be invited) wedding guests in Japan are expected to pay the new couple between $100 to $300 as a kind of start-up money instead of giving them a traditional gift. This means attending a wedding tends to be limited to immediate family in Japan because it is just so damn expensive for us underpaid English teachers. But anyway, I was lucky enough to snag an almost front row seat so I could capture some amazing photos of the fox wedding for your enjoyment. Continue reading for some of my favourite snaps below!


Getting ready for our close-up...

The groom awaits the bride's arrival...

Clowning around, but always staying foxy...

The Fox Wedding ceremony...

This adorable little wedding guest was decked out in fox face and a little suit. Kawaii!!

A trio of foxes hanging out around the fox shrine...

Fox parade!

The happy couple...

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4 comments:

  1. Wow that's so cool! The makeup is really well done. Lovely snap of the little fella as well he most certainly looks kawaii

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    1. Everyone looked very foxy that day for sure~! The little fellow seemed bewildered bordering disinterest but adorable nonetheless. :)

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  2. Wow! That's really cool! But what was it a fox-themed wedding? I've never heard of something like that in Japan before.

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    1. There is a Fox Shrine in Numazu and in the last few years they have been asking couples to apply to have a fox wedding at their shrine. It is an old tradition that died out but the shrine owners have been trying to bring it back. One lucky couple is selected for a fox-themed wedding hosted at the shrine. Good news for people like me who get to see a real Japanese wedding up close (and for free!!).

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