Many couples who come from Japanese backgrounds are starting to prefer a Western wedding rather than a traditional Shinto wedding. There are several reasons why couples prefer a Western wedding over a Shinto one because they have different opinions on marriage. Both style and culture are involved in a traditional Japanese wedding and this has been known for many years. There are two main differences between a Shinto wedding and a Western wedding. When a couple is in love and decides to get married, it is traditionally a Western wedding. As in a Shinto wedding, the couple is arranged and told who to marry. The parents choose the bride for the groom or choose the groom for the bride and from there a contract is born between the two families. Couples today have different opinions and are not in favor of Shinto marriage. By marrying in the traditional way or in the Western way, people should be able to choose who they want to spend the rest of their lives with. Shinto is known to be a Japanese religion, dating back to the early 8th century. The meaning behind Shinto is how kami or spirits exist in nature and people. There is a link between today's Japan and its ancient past. Today, Shinto is known to be held in public shrines suitable for various purposes such as war memorials, festivals, and weddings. As for the history of Japan, tradition has it that the husband lives with his wife's family. “In the ancient times of the aristocracy, before the era of the shoguns, men would visit the woman in the woman's house until a child or her child was born.” the parents died, at which time the couple was able to reside together in his home. This was known as muko-iri where the groom married into a member of the bride's family. (Nielson) Those are just one of many... half the paper... excuse her, and give him some money so he'll accept. They basically reached a compromise and he accepted the consensus among the family. If this little scene were to turn into a modern story, the wedding would be more like the couples were in love and both decided to get married. There would be no bribe because it would not be necessary in the situation. Therefore, the difference between a Shinto wedding and a Western wedding has been established. The difference between the two types of Shinto and Western ceremonies has changed rapidly in Japanese culture. Couples have chosen to have a Western wedding and ceremony because it is right for them and is less expensive than a Shinto wedding. It highlights how traditional marriage was viewed and the differences between Western marriages. There have been many changes not in Japanese cultures but also in other cultures.