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kunomchu
With a rise in the popularity of Christian-style weddings in Japan, some Westerners are finding they can make a lucrative living by acting as priests. But it does not please everyone, particularly genuine priests, as Kathleen McCaul reports.

IPB Image
Mark Kelly acts as a fake priest at the weekend

Mark Kelly is originally from Lancashire in England. He has been living in Japan for six years and, at the weekend, he is a fake priest.

"I was living in Sapporo, studying Japanese, and I needed the money. It's far better paid than teaching in a language school," he said.

"Being a fake priest is big business in Japan - I've done a TV commercial for one company," he added. "In Sapporo, there are five agencies employing about 20 fake priests. In a city like Tokyo, there must be hundreds."

The fake Western priests are employed at Western-style weddings to give a performance and add to the atmosphere. These are not legal ceremonies - the couples also have to make a trip to the local registrar.

"In the past almost all weddings in Japan were Shinto, but in the last few years Western-style weddings have appeared and become very popular," said one Japanese priest.


It is important for the bride and groom to have a proper wedding, and they are not getting it from these foreign priests
Japanese priest
"People like the dress, the kiss and the image. Japanese Christians make up only 1% of the country, but now about 90% of weddings are in the Christian style."

"At the hotel where I work, there is a Christian chapel next to a Shinto chapel. The Christian chapel is always in use, but the Shinto chapel is being used as a storeroom," Mr Kelly said.

The fake Western priests are used to create an authentic Christian feel.

"There are Japanese priests, but most couples are trying to re-create a European wedding, so overwhelmingly ask for a foreign priest," said Momo, who works at Morito Ishi Kyokai (forest and stone) chapel.

Supermarket chic

Western-style chapels are often found in unexpected places.

Morito Ishi Kyokai is on the sixth floor of a supermarket in Sapporo.

As you walk between sushi restaurants, cake shops and noodle bars, a grey plastic stone grotto decked in plastic flowers and fairy lights suddenly appears.

Wedding dresses in a shop in Tokyo

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Many Japanese couples want Western-style weddings

There are plastic cherubs and little fountains inside.

"It is designed in the style of mid-century stone churches in Europe," said Momo.

Mr Kelly worked at the chapel when it first opened.

"Because it was in a shopping centre, you got the sounds of vegetables on special offer," he said.

"It's very popular because it's still new," added Momo.

Omi Junko plays the flute in a club and comes to the chapel to practise.

"I like to come here. It has a good atmosphere because it is a church," she said.

Hazards of the job

The fake priests in Japan sometimes have to deal with difficult situations.

"Once I was holding a ceremony and an old man dressed head to toe in military uniform hobbled to the front and fell asleep," said Mr Kelly.

"Halfway through the service, he opened his eyes and I think he was back in Burma or Thailand. He looked straight at me, stood up and started unsheathing his rifle. Fortunately he was pretty slow and his relatives stopped him."


Once, the bride vomited on me and then fainted. It wasn't very romantic
Mark Kelly

Mr Kelly has often presided over ceremonies where the bride is pregnant.

"It is common. Once, the bride vomited on me and then fainted. It wasn't very romantic," he said.

Another difficulty is meeting genuine Japanese priests.

"We do occasionally bump into the real thing. They are very much against us, but there are not enough genuine Japanese priests to meet the demand" he said.

One Japanese Christian priest spoke out, but did not want to be identified.

"It is a real problem for us. They are not genuine and they give us a bad name," he said.

"It is important for the bride and groom to have a proper wedding, and they are not getting it from these foreign priests. I have even heard of hotels using staff when they can't find anyone else."

Omi Junko was surprised to find out that some of the Western priests were not genuine.

"I thought the priests were all real and I think everyone in Japan thinks that," she said.

But Mr Kelly argues that the ceremony is not about religion, but about image.

"I give a good performance. I use an Apache wedding prayer in my ceremony. It works very well, although I had to take out the part about the bear god in the sky," he said.

"If people are crying by the end of the wedding, I think I have done a good job."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6067002.stm
Goombaking209
i saw something on tv where koreans use fake priests at weddings too, except the preists are korean and not european .
kunomchu
This is another opportunity for white japanophiles lol
gangi788
,,
Goombaking209
QUOTE(gangi788 @ Nov 2 2006, 11:47 AM) [snapback]2445687[/snapback]

You're so full of $hit.


laugh.gif yeeah, im lying cause i hate koreans rights? looser biggthumpup.gif
Ino_II
QUOTE(Goombaking209 @ Nov 2 2006, 02:37 PM) [snapback]2445673[/snapback]

i saw something on tv where koreans use fake priests at weddings too, except the preists are korean and not european .

i dont think korea really has to use fake priests. christianity is a dominant religion in SK. so why the need. japan's christian population is slim to none. therfore they need them.

@ the article
thats pretty funni nonetheless laugh.gif laugh.gif laugh.gif
gangi788
,,
Goombaking209
QUOTE(gangi788 @ Nov 2 2006, 12:10 PM) [snapback]2445723[/snapback]

You are spreading lies. Get your fact straight dumbass.


facts? i saw a program on TV that showed that particular event, so that is a fact, geneious ( lol ) ... they paid regular korean guys to pose in pix with the bride and groom (suits and gear expenses all paid for) to pose in pictures ... as for how often this occurs, i didnt specify so stop being a b!tch.

Btw, unless your guilty of something like this, i dont see why you're sooooooooooooo asshurt by it.. laugh.gif
Ino_II
QUOTE
The fake priests in Japan sometimes have to deal with difficult situations.

"Once I was holding a ceremony and an old man dressed head to toe in military uniform hobbled to the front and fell asleep," said Mr Kelly.

"Halfway through the service, he opened his eyes and I think he was back in Burma or Thailand. He looked straight at me, stood up and started unsheathing his rifle. Fortunately he was pretty slow and his relatives stopped him."


eek.gif who the HELL wears a military uniform to a wedding?
Goombaking209
QUOTE(Ino_II @ Nov 2 2006, 12:06 PM) [snapback]2445713[/snapback]

i dont think korea really has to use fake priests. christianity is a dominant religion in SK. so why the need. japan's christian population is slim to none. therfore they need them.


I think it's a fake preist cause i dont see why a real preist wouldnt take pictures with a newly wed couple. and definatly the parents would not take money just to have their photos' taken with their daughter/son's wedding pix ...

@ the menstrating poster >>

Im talking about photos, not ceremonies smartguy
gangi788
,,,
Goombaking209
whatever floats your small @$$ boat lol
gangi788
,,,
Ino_II
QUOTE(Goombaking209 @ Nov 2 2006, 03:24 PM) [snapback]2445756[/snapback]



@ the menstrating poster >>

Im talking about photos, not ceremonies smartguy


youre an idiot

you clearly say in your post u were talking about weddings. u dumb$hit, it doenst make sense to use a real priest for a ceremony and a fake one for a photo.
QUOTE

i saw something on tv where koreans use fake priests at weddings too, except the preists are korean and not european
kunomchu
plz this thread is not about korean weddings. Can we just concentrate on the funny article? pz lol
Ino_II
QUOTE(kunomchu @ Nov 2 2006, 03:35 PM) [snapback]2445799[/snapback]

plz this thread is not about korean weddings. Can we just concentrate on the funny article? pz lol

goomba was the one to bring it up

typical of goombaloomba.
Morgan25
QUOTE(Goombaking209 @ Nov 2 2006, 02:37 PM) [snapback]2445673[/snapback]

i saw something on tv where koreans use fake priests at weddings too, except the preists are korean and not european .

Why would they do that? There are more than a few Christians in Korea and I would think there would be enough preists there too.

That's just a stupid thing to do. Only a jerk would pretend to be a preist.

Do the Japanese realize they're fake?

QUOTE(kunomchu @ Nov 2 2006, 02:32 PM) [snapback]2445666[/snapback]

IPB Image
Mark Kelly acts as a fake priest at the weekend

He looks like that weirdo who was in Thailand and said he killed that little Ramsey girl.
Ino_II
QUOTE(Morgan25 @ Nov 2 2006, 04:00 PM) [snapback]2445859[/snapback]



Do the Japanese realize they're fake?



no, every white person to them is brad pitt. icon_rolleyes.gif

http://tctheterrible.com/blog/wp-content/u...%20in%20ass.jpg



QUOTE
lushFLIPREALLYSORRY (2 weeks ago)
I met a japanese dude over here who i surf with, and i studied it for a year. We are going over there when i finish exams. That = me (hopefully).
Morgan25
QUOTE(Ino_II @ Nov 2 2006, 04:03 PM) [snapback]2445885[/snapback]

no, every white person to them is brad pitt. icon_rolleyes.gif

http://tctheterrible.com/blog/wp-content/u...%20in%20ass.jpg

Now now Ino. no need for that I didn't read the whole article so I didn't know.
toki
QUOTE(gangi788 @ Nov 2 2006, 02:10 PM) [snapback]2445723[/snapback]

You are spreading lies. Get your fact straight dumbass.

gangi. you're overreacting. you're making it seem like koreans can never do something bad once in a while. get over it... <___<
Goombaking209
QUOTE(gangi788 @ Nov 2 2006, 12:27 PM) [snapback]2445772[/snapback]

Look this guy doesn't know what he saw. Stop spreading lies and get your facts straight. Dummy.
Real preists take pictures with newlyweds all the time...and they do pay priests as donation money. DUH...OMG why am I wasting my valuable my time explaining this.


the wor1d is out to get you koreans icon_twisted.gif ZOMG!!!!! p1sss heeee1p this guy, he needs a new hobbie other than getting mad over the internet ... u take this $hit too serious1y, go out and get some fresh air ... THIS IS THE INTERNET laugh.gif
Ino_II
QUOTE(Goombaking209 @ Nov 2 2006, 05:32 PM) [snapback]2446057[/snapback]

the wor1d is out to get you koreans icon_twisted.gif ZOMG!!!!! p1sss heeee1p this guy, he needs a new hobbie other than getting mad over the internet ... u take this $hit too serious1y, go out and get some fresh air ... THIS IS THE INTERNET laugh.gif

why are you saying koreans theres only one korean acting like that and its gangi...
toki
yes. ignore gangi and get back on topic. or else i'll start warning people
Ino_II
lol this just goes to show what a foreigner can accomplish in japan icon_rolleyes.gif
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