Wedding Photography In Japan

In Japan the wedding photographer is more likely to be an employee or contractor for a Wedding Chapel or Reception Hall rather than freelance. Today many Japanese couples are opting for a western style wedding as it's "kakoi" (Cool). It seems like western culture is really taking root over there with the younger generation of Japanese. These couples like to have many western "Guijin" (foreigners) around just for the ambiance, so the Wedding Chapels tend to employ westerners to officiate at the ceremony. A wedding photographer from a western country has a good chance of landing some of these gigs just because they don't look Japanese! Most of the time even the minister is just an actor saying the lines! Very seldom is he actually a real Pastor. It's both sad and funny at the same time, but very Japanese!

A good way to get into the wedding photography business in Japan is to start as a Wedding Minister. This is a great way to meet the right people and learn how weddings are done in Japan. You don't need to be an ordained pastor and you only need to learn the lines in Japanese. Some people may feel it is wrong to perform a Christian style wedding ceremony, but that is all it is in Japan, just a ceremony! In fact, by the time you are in front of the chapel with bible in hand the couples are already married! In Japan a couple get married by going to City Hall and signing the marriage certificate. A ceremony is not even necessary.

Most wedding ministers and photographers started out with no Japanese speaking ability, but if you do speak Japanese well you will always get the better pay, so if you really want to make a decent living you will need to start learning to speak the language. Sure you can show people how you want them to pose by playing charades, but it is always easier to simply be able to explain it to them!

The pay for a contracted wedding photographer may not be great compared to the US average but it is a great way to learn the ropes and be able to make a decent living in a foreign country. Along the way you will make many Japanese friends and contacts who will help you grow your wedding photography business in the future.