Japan Crisis Inspired More Wedding Bells
27 May 2011

A Japan Wedding.
Photo by mithrandir3
in Flickr.com

In Tokyo, professional matchmaker Miyuki Uekusa became more busy than usual after the 9.0 magnitude earthquake last April 11, 2011. It seems the crisis made couples started to think more of marriage.

Her agency, Marry Me, has sent 30 couples to the altar within a span of two years. They noticed a change in the way couples thought of marriage after the tragedy. The professional matchmaker shared that the images of the catastrophe left people more fearful of being alone.

Phone inquiries about joining her club have gone up 30% since the massive earthquake and tsunami incident while existing members became more serious in going on dates.

"I need to act now, before another massive disaster strikes," Yoko, a new member, said. A 49-year old make up artist, she joined the club inspite of the steep price of $1,200 sign-up fee and $120 monthly charge. Because of the tragedy, she was jolted to adjust her priorities in life and realize the importance of relationships.

The wedding industry in Japan seemed to be the only bright spot after the tragedy, compared to other sectors like manufacturing and tourism that are struggling to recover. There has also been a reported increase in the sales of engagement and wedding rings as compared to other luxury items.

As one bride-to-be shared, she will walk down the aisle with a new sense of purpose - the disaster is a sad reminder of the importance of having a family, of having someone to love and be loved in return.

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Kasal.com thanks the following sources for this article:

Stevian Jiang. CNN. Weddings bells toll in post-quake Japan (Posted on April 29 2011) Retrieved on May 18, 2011 from http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/04/27/japan.quake.weddings/index.html