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The Dating Game |
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Traditional Matchmaking in Japan |
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by Justine Bornstein |
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Matchmaker.com, Match.com, Friendster.com—the emergence of popular online
dating services offers proof that computer technology
has changed the face of dating. And so it has. But an older
courtship tradition has been bringing strangers together in
the name of love for centuries, and still takes place in Japan today.
Omiai, which literally means "look and see" in Japanese,
is a try-before-you-buy formal date where both participants have the intention of finding someone to marry. Imagine going on a
blind date—with an official matchmaker, your parents (!), and maybe even some friends tagging along.
It may sound awkward, but the traditional format of omiai is for a matchmaker (nakodo), who is typically an older,
respected person with a high social position, to bring two people together. The couple and their families exchange letters
of introduction, photos (usually very formal and serious), and personal information (tsurigaki). |
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"The Dating Game" by Justine Bornstein has been edited for shojobeat.com; the complete article appears in the August 2005 issue of Shojo Beat Magazine. |
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Want more articles like this PLUS six of the most addictive shojo manga from Japan delivered to your doorstep every month—before they hit the newsstands? Click here to subscribe now! |
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