A There are scenes in American movies where the parents of a just-married couple are introduced to their child's spouse for the very first time.Althoug the Japanese have become very much Americanized, Japanese parents would be shocked if their child were to pull off something like that on them.

Marriage is basically an agreement reached between two people, but the idea that marriage is a forging of ties between two families is still firm ly entrenched in Japan. Relatives, superiors, seniors and friends all make speeches one after another at wedding receptions in order that the new human relationships formed through marriage will proceed harmoniously.

There are families that invite well-known people to whom they have even the remotest connection with to display their standing to the other family. At times the wedding is transformed into a frivolous show by the boring and perfunctory speeches given by well-known people. Even the Japanese themselves admit that there are entirely too many speeches made at wedding receptions.

Both parents and children alike in the new generation have increasingly come to view the family as a remote concept. Many people are fed up with formal ceremonies and are opting to have a wedding catered to their personal taste, and with it the chances of having to bear with boring speeches will certainly lessen.