Praying for a hubby

They are so fashionable. I would have guessed they had many boyfriends. So cool

kinda sad looking if ya ask me

I think they're going to have to do more than pray

If they could just lower their expectations I'm sure they could find a husband quite easily. Women nowadays...sigh.

The one on the left look like a rear view of what came out of the TV in "Ringu".

I like these two words together - husband and hunting. Somehow a picture comes to mind of a Japanese woman approaching 30, dressed in camouflage gear, lying in the bushes somewhere with a tranquilizer gun, whispering to the camera girl, "There he is now ... on the other side of that car ... fine looking male, about 25 years old ... good job, good family ... let's wait until he's out in the clearing .... shhhhh ... don't spook him." No, this is not how I caught my husband. My brother used to watch a lot of sports TV back in the day, swear on a stack of holy bibles.

I'm sure they could find a husband quite easily.

I'm afraid not! Women these at these places only want a doctor or a dentist as a husband. They don't want to have to work. They don't want to marry if they are not filthy rich. The choice of the majority is to stay single. Shows you what they value most in Japan.

very very scary.

neverknow2:

They don't want to have to work. [...] The choice of the majority is to stay single. How can they stay single without working?

Anyway, this is painful. It shows that they can not take care of themselves. They don't have careers, professional goals or intellectual ambitions if they just want to stay at home cleaning and cooking and taking care of children even when these are grown up. I can't imagine a life like that. Husband hunting???

If you ask me, many of these women who hunt husbands and will later depend on them, one day will discover that the hunted man is violent, or that he has a lover, or that he lost his job, or that he is ill and can not work, or he dies, and then will they have no choice but kill their children and then commit suicide because that husband can not support them anymore. Japan has a very low divorce rate, yes. Women don't divorce because they depend on their husbands. But Japan has a very high child-kill&suicide rate for mothers. I read these stories here very often. Depending on anyone else is the WRONG choice for a healthy adult, and being a housewife is the wrong choice because they depend on someone who maybe one day is not or does not want to be there anymore. Grow up, take care of yourselves, study a career and a husband will show up when you less expect it!

They should try putting an ad in the Metropolis personals:

"Frumpy 30s female seeks dorky, dependable male for marriage. No prayboys"

"If you ask me, many of these women who hunt husbands and will later depend on them, one day will discover that the hunted man is violent, or that he has a lover, or that he lost his job, or that he is ill and can not work, or he dies, and then will they have no choice but kill their children and then commit suicide because that husband can not support them anymore."

...There's one scenario missing.

They may meet someone that they feel happy with.

Spanish is right. Everyone should know how to take care of themselves first and be self-sufficient. But it's not just women. Some men go from being under their mother's care to being under their wife's care and can't be independent, either. They'll go from one bad marriage to another because they need someone to take care of them. They can't do it themselves. Avoid this at all costs. You'll be happier, believe me.

If they could just lower their expectations I'm sure they could find a husband quite easily. Women nowadays...sigh.

What happens when you have the lowest of expectations but still can't find the right one??? Scary ...

what a shame that women don't feel they have any other options. one of these might find a cure for cancer...

What happens when you have the lowest of expectations but still can't find the right one??? Scary ...

they get a cat, eat cake all day and scowl at people on trains.

...and i should add that perhaps some of these women don't really want to marry, but the unending pressure from parents and grandparents, as well as society at large, means they'd happily marry anyone

Sexual appeal, friendly personality, charm, self-confidence, good sense-of-humor, and being interesting yourself. This is the answer and the way. - Shinto God

one of these might find a cure for cancer...

hahahaha yeah, in that moment between changing the fuyu no sonata dvd and opening a new packet of pocky

Everyone should know how to take care of themselves first and be self-sufficient

this is a very western view. japanese crave dependence

That's interesting, griff. I never would've suspected such a thing.

hahahaha yeah, in that moment between changing the fuyu no sonata dvd and opening a new packet of pocky

most of them, yes, but some of them surely have deeply repressed intellect

-Altria, on spot! I wish them all the luck with the hunt, no matter how fruitless i think it is.

no matter how fruitless i think it is

so you don't think their time and energies might be better spent doing something like... i dunno... building a good life for themselves, irrespective of marriage?

What's the point of a woman getting married in japan? The guy is already married ....to his company. He Loves his company, not a woman. And there won't be any sex either, he's too exhausted after servicing his lover the company for 15 hours.

What's the point of a woman getting married in japan?

So their friends and family don't think they're a loser.

They also get to watch some pretty exciting daytime TV.

Female participants in a “konkatsu” (husband-hunting) event pray before an altar at Imado shrine in Tokyo.

why they are hunting for husband?

My friend Dee had an explanation for it: when a woman wants to have children, she'll go on the hunt. By the time she reaches 30 or so, if she hasn't found The One, she'll "settle," meaning she'll pick a guy who wants to have children even if she doesn't really like him a whole lot. Children are the most important thing at this point. If a woman doesn't want to have children, she's free of having to go on the hunt. But most women do want to have children. That's the essence of it.

why they are hunting for husband?

Because their old age parents want them to do it.

Best we can do, is wish them good luck & a future happy life.

Now HERE is the place for one of those gaijin fake "priests" to get a job.

Talk about shooting fish in a barrel!

(funny how the picture of women desperate to meet a man were photographed from behind)

Taka

Maybe after praying, they can get themselves down to the health club to lose some pounds and gain some self-respect. Maybe give those clothes back to grandma on the way back.

Maybe give those clothes back to grandma on the way back.

ha! so true

The one on the left look like a rear view of what came out of the TV in "Ringu".

Ouch! Sure there is someone for her as well out there.

Maybe if they showed them from the front the hunt would have ended rather quickly!

This is why I prefer females who are atheist.

Here`s a suggestion. Stop hanging out inside your house everyday and all day watching stupid variety shows and reading comics and dreaming about how you wish you had someone. Get out and party a bit and meet people. Live life!

bunch o' desparate losers

Praying for anything is a lost cause. Specially if in Shinto tradition - paraying to a stone/tree/fruit whatever? This is typical of Japanese liking for organised events. Gokon anyone?

This is why I prefer females who are atheist.

to me, the photo exhibits desperation, not devotion

ah well

Come on lets give these girls a break - anyone who has lived and worked in Japan for a number of years understands the pressure that they are under and also lets not be so hard to condemn this as a Japanese thing. In the West we have the same problem and I would have to say it can even be worse.....Japan is going through some hard times so if this helps them and their parents then good on them....gambarre!

Sad in a way. But they can helpthemselves by having some education, and learn to be very independent and interesting most of all. I have heard about how some are desperate and can go to the extent of having a child with any man and then move on. Atleast the girls here have not resorted to some wierd way of finding a man.

The women are all on the left of the room.

Join a fitness club. Join a tennis club. Go on a homestay somewhere. Do anything but stay home and wish that magic husband would appear at the next arranged meeting. Next time you are walking down the street walk with your head up and show a bit of personality emitting from within in lieu of the frumby frown most middle aged single woman have plastered on their dials. Basically get out and about and have fun. Your hubby may come sooner than you think.

I hope they all find nice guys to marry.

Stop hanging out inside your house everyday and all day watching stupid variety shows and reading comics

How do you know these women do these things? Do you just assume they do, because they're Japanese?

I will never stop wondering why some foreigners, who would otherwise be opposed to comments based on racial stereotypes, so often give themselves license to say blatantly stereotypical things about their Japanese hosts.

Also stop wearing those drab Muji clothes and get some exercise to go with those organic vegetables and whole-grain rice!

Billy Blanks needs to do a Konkatsu Boot Camp.

maybe they shouldn't be wasting time in shrine and should go to roppongi and try to hook up with someone.

The title says 'Female Participants'. Are the Male Participants over on the right, I wonder? Par for the course if they are.

nisegaijin,

oh yeah, cos in Roppongi you really do meet the nicest people, right?

As for their clothes, cant exactly go to a shrine in hotpants and pasties these days.... but itd probably get more guys to the shrine!!!

Your hubby may come sooner than you think.

Or would like him to...

I am waiting the photoshop-ed version of this pic to appear: instead of a priest another p word. With the same caption as original pic.

Women in this pic are plain dumb

JenniferKim -- You make a very valid point, but I don't think the stereotypical comments offered here by some posters are "racial" per se. I think they are based on commonly observed behavior by J-women based on societal norms and pressures. Now the fact that the vast majority of the single women here happen to be of the Japanese "race" is undeniable. But, I think what most folks are suggesting, including myself, is that these ladies could make themselves much more interesting and attractive if they would throw off society's expectations of them. For example, I have met numerous Japanese women who have lived and or traveled overseas extensively, and they are very exciting and interesting, and do not need to pray for a husband, although most J-guys are intimidated by them. So, I don't believe it is any way a racial thing, just a result of the way the society here is going -- women who want men, and herbivorous men who want their Mommy.

Some observations.

Most singles I meet have unrealistic expectations. Girls have this Cinderella notion of what they expect in a guy. And guys are all looking for some combination of passive sex goddess and perfect girl next door.

Most don't go out much making the chances of meeting anyone nearly impossible. A lot of their personal relationships are online and never seem to evolve into the real world.

Many, after a certain age, give up entirely making it completely impossible to meet anyone.

So some advice.

Get out and meet people. Join some groups, go to events, check out live performances, or just be friendly to people around you. Chances are others in your sphere are equally alone and wishing for new friends or more.

Quit listening to what others are doing on TV or in magazines. Do something yourself! Get a hobby, (no shopping is not a hobby) do voluneteer work, join a club and try to make yourself more interesting.

Adopt realistic standards. People are not perfect, not always glamourous and not always what we expect. Someone may be economically poor but emotionally rich and able to make you happy. Or not so beautiful but wonderful inside and loving. Look beyond the surface and see what is around you.

Pray if it makes you feel better. But whatever you are praying to, if it is listening, it is also expecting you to do your part in making your dreams come true. So get on with it.

Last two posters, spot on. :thumbsup:

God helps those who help themselves.

they will be disappointed when they finally get husbands and realize that it hasn't solved any of their problems, and in fact has added many new ones. life isn't 'happily ever after'

After they leave the shrine there is a stall holder outside selling a konkatsu bra with a ticking clock that can be stopped by inserting an engagement ring.

I wonder how much they paid for this scam?

This picture is actually very sad, and a sad reflection of real "life" in Japan. The lack of real, meaningful social interaction and communication in Japan is simply pathetic. Thats why these poor, sad, Japanese wpomen resort to this mindless and meaningless exercise. The Shinto Priest must be laughing all the way to the bank....

Sounds like the Sadie Hawkins Day race. Run away!

They look more like Batsu-Ichi.

If you could come up with some "husband hunting" kit filled with good luck charms, some cheap perfume, a voodoo doll, and a couple of condoms, you'd probably make a lot of money.

good idea bamboo! now i need to go shoppingg..

haha

interesting this is :P

Shhh! Be wewwy, wewwy qwiet! I'm hunting those wascawwy husbands! :-)

Boys beware any woman who only has marriage on her mind should be avoided.

I just saw a report about gogon yesterday here on a tv-channel in Switzerland. From what I saw (also in real life in Japan), the girls attending such parties are usually much more better looking than the boys. Probably the reason, why my japanese wife married me ;))) ...

This is just plain weird. I know many women who pray for husbands but not in a group setting.

Monoflow: good for you!...:)

This is a one off event & no one here knows anything about the normal day to day life of any of these women. Such patronising rubbish from people that spend far too much of their own lives in front of computer terminals. JT has a habit of putting up a picture for the day that is designed to generate comment, that I can live with, but this picture was low, too low for me.

grafton at 12:06 AM JST - 23rd July Such patronising rubbish from people that spend far too much of their own lives in front of computer terminals. JT has a habit of putting up a picture for the day that is designed to generate comment, that I can live with, but this picture was low, too low for me.

While I agree that JT is often not too many steps away from the Drudge Report in the stories it chooses (and then the way the moderators pretend to be guardians of decency), this kind of thing is frustrating to people who know and love Japan. While not as pathetic, say, as the level of violence in the U.S., for all it's modernity, Japan remains rather backward socially, old-fashioned, and maddeningly superstitious.

The low birth rate in Japan may alarm the government and the economic titans, but not everyone needs to get married and have children, which is probably pretty much all these woman care about. And for good reason since the society still offers little meaningful work for woman to do, so having a serious career is not even an option, and not everyone is content to live with her parents forever.

all these woman care about

Sodai gomi for the next bubble and a sperm donor for Japan Inc. Just say no.

This pick kinda reminds me of a Japanese friend I once had, she was 25 and just wouldn't stop trying to pressure me to go out with her. I was just looking for a friend (without benefits), and she came on waaaay to strong. Total turn off.

These women need to keep living their lives but also try to accomplish something career wise to build some sort of security and a bit of independence for themselves. I know when I have a family of my own, I plan to assist helping raise the children and doing household chores as well, not just leaving replacement mom to do it for me like a spoiled kid.

Japanese marital society needs to look towards the model of 2 parents working and raising the children together. The only thing that would probably get in the way of this is the lack of some decent income earning jobs for the women.

This is just plain weird. I know many women who pray for husbands but not in a group setting.

I don't see how this differs from a bunch of people praying for something in church. These ladies have a common goal, so why not pray together?

This picture is actually very sad, and a sad reflection of real "life" in Japan. The lack of real, meaningful social interaction and communication in Japan is simply pathetic. Thats why these poor, sad, Japanese wpomen resort to this mindless and meaningless exercise. The Shinto Priest must be laughing all the way to the bank....

How did you come to your conclusion from one picture? This is happnening all over the world, because in all populations there are always more women than men.

Some of these women are probably just going through the ritual in order to say to Mama that they've been trying.

"I don't see how this differs from a bunch of people praying for something in church. These ladies have a common goal, so why not pray together?" I have never thought of doing this at church because there are more important needs (illness, unemployment etc) than a husband. But I will pass the suggestion to my ladies prayer group as we have several single ladies.

What the heck were these females doing during High School and University? facepalm. Too late now, arafo!

How could I possibly interview all of these women in a day?

Interesting, I didn't know these Japanese chicks were so desperate...I'm kidding, this is just their culture. Asian women have been doing this for centuries.

The grass is always greener on the other side.