It is summer in Japan and love is in the air.
Now is the time to tie the knot and Singapore is busy wooing
Japanese couples who want a wedding ceremony with a
difference.
They can get married at the Singapore Pavilion at the Aichi World
Expo, complete with ethnic bridal gowns.
The Singapore Tourism Board will host similar ceremonies right
through to September when the Expo ends its 6-month run.
Chandrika Shantilal, Programme Director of World Expo, Singapore
Tourism Board, said: "A lot of Japanese are going to exotic places
to get married in a traditional way, and we thought that Singapore
is a wonderful location for marriages because we can have four
different styles of wedding for them to choose from."
In one wedding at the Singapore Pavilion, the Japanese bride and
groom were wedded at a replica of Chijmes, a former convent school
turned popular dining and retail spot.
And for an extra special touch, the couple dressed up in the bridal
attire of Singapore's diverse ethnic groups.
Forest spirits Morizo and Kikkoro, the mascots of the World
Exposition in Aichi, were the special guests at the wedding which
took place at the Singapore Pavilion.
The bride Naoko Shimizu was thrilled by the unusual costumes for
her special day.
She said: "It's something I'd never get to experience in ordinary
life. The make-up and the ethnic attire all different so I'm really
enjoying this."
"Marriage is the biggest event in my life and the best part is
having my ceremony at the World Expo."
Theirs would not be the only wedding at the Pavilion.
Holding weddings overseas has been quite popular among the Japanese
for the past few decades.
Hawaii has been the top destination followed by Guam and
Saipan.
In Asia, Bali has been the most popular destination and now
Singapore wants a piece of the pie.
There've been years when close to 50,000 Japanese couples held
their weddings abroad, and the Republic is hoping to capture
one-fifth of this lucrative market.
But it's facing competition - the American pavilion at the Expo is
also hosting weddings to attract more Japanese to tie the knot in
the United States. - CNA /ch