Shotgun Weddings in Japan Approach 30 Percent

A recent study by the Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare has shown marriages in which the couple is already expecting are currently 26.8% and seem to be on the rise. Some wedding planning companies are saying that number may be as high as 40%.

There is a movement to rename the shotgun weddings from “deki-kon” or “dekichatta kekkon” (meaning something like “we really did it” or “we made a mistake” or “we messed up” marriage) to something more positive like “omedeta-kon” or “congratulations wedding”, or “angel wedding”, or “sazukari-kon” which I’ll translate here as “gifted wedding” considering the baby a great gift

Some other creative names include the magazine Zexy which gave us mamarraige… an obvious play on the words mama and marriage. (I kind of like this one.)

The wedding planning services interviewed say that some of the special services they offer for these mamarriages or gifted weddings are:

• wedding dresses with more room around the middle for the brides expanding belly
• buckets under the tables for just in case the wife gets morning sickness
• staff at the ready with drinks and towels for if the bride starts to feel ill