How to Have a Japanese Wedding Banquet

Symbolic Japanese Foods for a Wedding Bring a Life of Good Fortune

Jul 28, 2009

Looking for a special way to observe Japanese heritage at a wedding? Traditional Japanese wedding foods promise good fortune, togetherness, fertility, eternity, and joy.

Heritage weddings that celebrate the cultural traditions of the bride or groom are a big trend in wedding planning today. Even the smallest touch of tradition can add deep meaning to that special day.

Want to celebrate the Japanese heritage of a bride or groom at the wedding? Make a special effort to include one or more of the following traditional Japanese wedding foods, all of which are served because of their propitious symbolic meanings. Most experienced caterers will be able to weave such Japanese specialties into the wedding banquet plants.

Traditional Japanese Wedding Foods

Adzuki Beans and Rice. The color of the bright red beans represent good fortune. Cooked and served together, the dish is known as sekihan, and is served at all kinds of special occasions. Adzuki beans, commonly spelled “azuki” as well, are also commonly found cooked with sugar as an element in Japanese sweets, which may also be served at the end of the wedding feast.

Clams. Presented to guests complete with both shell halves, the bivalves symbolize togetherness. Typically, the common small asari variety of Japanese clam may be used, simply steamed with sake, salt, and water.

Fish. Served whole, fish are cooked with their heads touching their tails to form circles that represent eternity. Use whatever variety of fish is fresh in season and large enough to form easily into a circle.

Konbu. Dried kelp is served because its name is similar to the last two syllables of the word for “joy,” yorokobu. Many traditional Japanese dishes include konbu as an ingredient or part of the presentation.

Lobster. When cooked, the crustacean’s shell turns deep red, a lucky color. One typical way to cook the crustacean is to halve it, coat the meat in the shell with a mixture of beaten egg yolks, mirin (rice wine), lemon, and soy sauce, and grill it.

Salted Herring Roe. The yellow or pinkish block of preserved fish eggs, kazunoko in Japanese, symbolizes fertility. It is usually prepared for a meal by marinating it in a mixture of broth, sake, and soy sauce.

Sea Bream. This particular fish is served because its Japanese name, tai, is the last syllable of the word for celebration, medetai. Bream is plentiful along Japan’s coast, and in the springtime the fish turn red and are known as “cherry blossom bream.” The traditional way to cook bream for a wedding banquet is to salt-grill it—that is, simply season the fish with salt before cooking it over a grill’s dry heat.

One final word of caution: The number of items served should never total a multiple of the number four, shi. Its sound is similar to the first syllable of a Japanese word for death. So keep the number of dishes odd—and look forward to a long life filled with good fortune!

The copyright of the article How to Have a Japanese Wedding Banquet in Wedding Traditions & Etiquette is owned by Norman Kolpas. Permission to republish How to Have a Japanese Wedding Banquet in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.