Few people in Japan are Christian, but you see what looks to be churches everywhere. What’s the deal?

Well, Western Weddings are big business. Western Weddings (as opposed to the traditional Shinto wedding) are thought to be happier, more fun, and cooler. I don’t know how that idea got started. Hollywood, I suppose. I believe at this point more than half the weddings in Japan are Western style. So these fake churches have sprung up everywhere to meet the wedding demand.

I’ve been to two weddings and they go all out. Stained glass, statues of saints, crucifixes, hymn books, etc. During the services we pulled out the hymn books and sang real christian songs in Japanese. Weird experience.

The minister who does the wedding is not in any way a real minister, by the way. It’s a part time job (a well paying one), the only qualifications needed are being white and speaking enough Japanese to give the service.