One can go to school for just about anything these days. Still, who ever would have thought that getting married would involve a skill set that needs to be officially taught? The Infini School in Tokyo, Japan, that’s who.
For that wannabe spouse of either sex, the Infini School, which is an offshoot of the charm school of ages ago, teaches its students a different set of ABCs (perhaps, attitude, beatitude and charm?).
The school is flourishing in a time when many Japanese are avoiding the institution of marriage or at the very least, finding it very difficult to find some one with whom to share their lives.
The school, which opened last month and has thirty female students, directs potential brides and grooms specifically on how to deal with in-laws and how to talk, walk and present oneself in a socially elegant manner. Men are also enrolled but for some reason most do not show up for most classes.
“I had never even thought that my boyfriend’s mother could play such a big role in my relationship, but now I’ve realized I need to start thinking seriously about how to impress my future in-laws,” said Kozue Sugawara, 29.
In Japan, nearly two-thirds of women under the age of 34 are single and there are thousands of companies offering matchmaking services. This phenomenon is due to a number of factors, including women’s growing economic power and a shift in national attitude about marriage.
“Before, people would find it easy to get married because families and society would connect them in some way, sometimes pushing them to get married. But nowadays, people have too many choices and cannot seem to make up their minds,” says Etsuko Satake, principal of the Infini marriage prep school.
For an annual fee of 200,000 yen (about $2,200 US dollars), students have unlimited access to classes and are entitled to one-on-one instruction about attire, eating and dating etiquette, posture, verbal communication and even the finer points of poise, such as, the proper way to cross one’s legs when exiting a vehicle.
“Konkatsu,” or spouse-hunting activities represent a renewed interest in economic stability. It can only be hoped that these students will have enough money left to start a savings account after they finish paying for the school!
What do YOU think about this?
http://www.weirdasianews.com/2010/03/24/marriage-school-find/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmClgplGQj0&feature=player_embedded
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