Japan: sales value of wedding ceremony halls 2021

In the fiscal year 2021, the sales value of wedding ceremony hall businesses in Japan amounted to approximately 183.2 billion Japanese yen, down from approximately 246.15 billion yen in fiscal 2019. The severe decrease in fiscal 2020 and 2021 reflects the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the industry.

 History of weddings in Japan 

Traditionally, weddings in Japan were carried out at home. During Japan’s westernization movement in the Meiji era (from 1868 to 1912), citizens learned the concept of a Christian wedding ceremony at a church and began to hold a similar ceremony at shrines. After World War II, it became increasingly common to hold weddings at public facilities or hotels, as the housing situation changed due to the consequence of the war and the following rapid economic growth. The Japanese wedding industry flourished after the 1970s when bridal companies started to organize weddings as a whole event. Since then, a one-day wedding with a ceremony and a reception became the standard.

 Modern weddings 

Nowadays, Japanese weddings are a cultural melting pot and entirely commercialized. Consumers can freely choose the style of a wedding irrespective of the religion they practice. Some choose to have a wedding at a temple or shrine and have a reception at a hotel or restaurant. Some also choose to have a wedding at a wedding ceremony hall in a western style. A lot of wedding ceremony halls own a wedding chapel and a banquet hall, thus, a couple can continue their wedding from the ceremony straight to the reception. Having a wedding in a resort overseas is also gaining popularity among younger generations. As a result of a wide range of choices, the total expenses for weddings differ in price. Companies in the industry are required to remain flexible in order to satisfy the diversifying demands of consumers.