What is Nousai no gi?
Can They Perform ‘Nousai no gi‘?
Princess Mako and Komuro are still in the
position of being unofficially engaged, but if they become officially engaged,
they will have to go through the "Nousai no gi".
However, due to cost and other aspects, it
would be difficult to do this in reality.
Mako's father, Prince Akishino, said at his
birthday press conference last November that he approves of their marriage, but
also said that "marriage is not the same as engagement," suggesting
that even if they were to get married, they would not be in a position to
perform the Nousai ceremony.
The formal betrothal ceremony of the
Japanese Imperial Family is called Nousai-no-gi (i.e. Rite of Offering). It is
said to have been handed down as far back as the time of Emperor Nintoku (end
of the 4th century to the early 5th century), and this became the origin of the
Yuino, which is also performed by common people.
To put it simply, yuno is a ceremony in
which the man who is to be married presents the woman's house with a set amount
of offerings and money. In the case of the Nousai ceremony between Mako and
Komuro, Komuro's side would present offerings to the Akishino family.
What is the Procedure of Nousai no gi?
According to Wikipedia, the Nouai Ceremony
is performed in the following steps:
Ceremony of the male members of the Imperial Family
1. the Emperor and Empress (in the case of the house of a prince, the parents of the house) dispatch an envoy with offerings to the family home of the person to be married
2. The envoy informs the parents of the bride-to-be of the intention of the Nouai ceremony and presents them with an offering.
3. The parents accept the offering.
4. The envoy reports to the emperor and empress that the offering has been received.
Princess Takamado Ayako receiving an offering from a messenger in 2018.
Ceremony of the female members of the Imperial Family
1. The envoy of the marriage partner of the female member of the Imperial Family visits the Imperial Palace with offerings.
2. The Grand Chamberlain entertains the envoy.
3. The envoy informs the intentions of Nousai and presents them with an offering.
4. The Grand Chamberlain presents the offerings to the emperor and empress and informs them of the intentions of Nousai.
5. The emperor and empress receive the offerings.
6. The Grand Chamberlain informs the envoy that the offerings have been received by the emperor and empress.
7. The envoy reports that the offering has been received.
Celebration
After the betrothal ceremony, a celebration is held. A banquet is held to celebrate the death of the deceased, and the attendees celebrate the death of the deceased.
(From Wikipedia)
What are offerings at Nousai no gi?
So what kind of offerings are given from
the men to the women?
Offerings from the Moriya family at the Nosai no gi of Princess Ayako Takamado
Offerings
A male and a female sea bream, a pack of sake (six bottles), and silk damask are presented.
In the Showa and Heisei era, the silk damask were made into silk dress, such as the robe and décolleté worn at the wedding ceremony. In the case of the female counterpart of the Imperial Family, the Crown Princess receives five scrolls, the Crown Princess receives three scrolls, and in the case of the male counterpart of the Imperial Family, the counterpart gives two scrolls. The sake is sent directly from the Imperial Household Agency's official sake brewery, and the sea bream is a pair of large male and female sea bream caught in the seas around Japan, arranged in a figure-eight pattern on a stand. (From Wikipedia)
Of these offerings, the sea bream and sake
are not very expensive, but the silk fabric is said to be expensive, as it is
made into dresses and is over 5 meters long.
Moreover, the cost of the venue for the
wedding banquet, mornings and other outfits, and the cost of the car will be
split between the Imperial Family and the Komuro family, according to past
custom.
It is highly doubtful that Komuro, who has
just graduated from Fordham Law School and is about to take the bar exam, has
the resources to do so.
High Hurdle Other Than Cost for Komuro
In addition to the cost, there is another high hurdle to overcome. It should be the senior male member of the Komuro family who will visit the Akishino Palace with the offerings from the Komuro side. However, since both Kei Komuro's father and grandfather had committed suicide and the Kei and his mother are insulated from the family of his late father, Toshikatsu (details to be included in another article), there is no one available to be the messenger.
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