I’m not sure this is only a Japanese thing, or only about weddings.
You can see a similar pattern in many parts of Asia where Western styles, symbols, or experiences often carry a certain prestige.
Sometimes it’s not necessarily about religion or tradition, but more about the cultural image associated with the West.
For example, imagine two people from the same country who go abroad for work. One spends a few years working as a waiter somewhere in Europe, while the other builds and runs a successful restaurant in a non‑Western country.
When they both return home, many people might instinctively view the one who “worked in Europe” as more successful, even if the other actually achieved more in practical terms.
It’s an interesting cultural dynamic and probably says something about how global prestige and perception work.
I’m not sure this is only a Japanese thing, or only about weddings.
You can see a similar pattern in many parts of Asia where Western styles, symbols, or experiences often carry a certain prestige.
Sometimes it’s not necessarily about religion or tradition, but more about the cultural image associated with the West.
For example, imagine two people from the same country who go abroad for work. One spends a few years working as a waiter somewhere in Europe, while the other builds and runs a successful restaurant in a non‑Western country.
When they both return home, many people might instinctively view the one who “worked in Europe” as more successful, even if the other actually achieved more in practical terms.
It’s an interesting cultural dynamic and probably says something about how global prestige and perception work.