Tales of Old Japan - Maybe You Like It

In old times the bride and bridegroom used to change their dress three
or five times during the ceremony; but at the present time, after the nine
cups of wine have been drunk, in the manner recorded above, the
change of dress takes place once. The bride puts on the silk robe which
she has received from the bridegroom, while he dons the dress of ceremony
which has been brought by the bride.
When these ceremonies have been observed, the bride's ladies conduct
her to the apartments of her parents-in-law. The bride carries with her
silk robes, as presents for her parents and brothers and sister-in-law. A
tray is brought out, with three wine-cups, which are set before the
parents-in-law and the bride. The father-in-law drinks three cups and
hands the cup to the bride, who, after she has drunk two cups, receives a
present from her father-in-law; she then drinks a third cup, and returns
the cup to her father-in-law, who again drinks three cups. Fish is then
brought in, and, in the houses of ordinary persons, a preparation of rice.
Upon this the mother-in-law, taking the second cup, drinks three cups
and passes the cup to the bride, who drinks two cups and receives a
present from her mother-in-law: she then drinks a third cup and gives
back the cup to the mother-in-law, who drinks three cups again. Condiments
are served, and, in ordinary houses, soup; after which the bride
drinks once from the third cup and hands it to her father-in-law, who
drinks thrice from it; the bride again drinks twice from it, and after her
the mother-in-law drinks thrice. The parents-in-law and the bride thus
have drunk in all nine times. If there are any brothers or sisters-in-law,
soup and condiments are served, and a single porcelain wine-cup is
placed before them on a tray, and they drink at the word of command of
the father-in-law. It is not indispensable that soup should be served upon
this occasion. If the parents of the bridegroom are dead, instead of the
above ceremony, he leads his bride to make her obeisances before the
tablets on which their names are inscribed.
In old days, after the ceremonies recorded above had been gone
through, the bridegroom used to pay a visit of ceremony to the bride's
parents; but at the present time the visit is paid before the wedding, and
although the forms observed on the occasion resemble those of the ancient
times, still they are different, and it would be well that we should
resume the old fashion. The two trays which had been used at the wedding
feast, loaded with fowl and fish and condiments neatly arranged,
used to be put into a long box and sent to the father-in-law's house. Five
hundred and eighty cakes of rice in lacquer boxes were also sent. The
modern practice of sending the rice cakes in a bucket is quite contrary to
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