Omiai

Omiai, otherwise known as arranged marriage, is not prevalent in Japan as it once was, but it's still practiced. It sounds rigid and harsh, but today's omiai is more of a serious form of blind dating than blind marriage. Just because one agrees to meet the person they have been matched up with doesn't mean they must marry them. In fact, they never have to see the person again if they don't think they're suitable match for marriage.

One of my former coworkers here met his second wife through omiai. He agreed to have a first meeting only to appease his parents. He had no intention of actually marrying her. He said he thought an arranged marriage would be a bad idea until he saw his match's "beautiful long legs." The rest is history.

A Japanese woman I know recently began omiai meetings. She met 2 potential husbands during the same weekend. She had a second date with one of them, but it still doesn't mean they will get married. According to her, she will probably have to meet 20 different suitors before she finds a spouse (although she tends to exaggerate).

My own grandparents met through omiai in the early 1900s. When they had their first arranged meeting, my grandmother's nosy relatives used their fingertips to dab small amounts of saliva on the shouji (sliding paper doors) so that they could see through and spy. The meeting must have went well, because they went on to marry and have 8 children.