Engagement ceremony - Yuinou

Japanese: 結納 - ゆいのう

Prior to marriage, money and gifts are usually given by the man's family to the woman's family (or vice versa in the case of an adopted son-in-law), and the associated rites. Sometimes the recipient returns about half the amount, which is called yuino-gaeshi. In recent times, the yuino generally marks the establishment of an engagement, and there is a tendency to make the gifts large and extravagant, to be used as funds for the future married life. However, as can be seen from the names of gifts in various regions, such as sake container, barrel container, and tea container, it is an ancient custom that yuino does not involve money, and the gifts are used for food and drink. In other words, the matchmaker (nakoudo) would visit the woman's family bringing sake and snacks, and if the woman agreed to the engagement, they would drink together and acknowledge the engagement. Sometimes the groom himself would visit the bride's family at that time, and it was called yuino-mikoiri or ichigen, which meant the first time the groom entered the family. Through this shared meal, the two families become related by marriage, forming a new relationship of yui, a common labor relationship, and one theory holds that the word yuino originates from this yui. On the other hand, there is also a theory that yuino is a loosely corrupted form of kotoire, and refers to a marriage proposal. As bride-marriages became more widespread and developed, the sake pouring and yui came to be considered merely the first marriage reservation, and then money and gifts were delivered again to finalize the engagement, and so what was originally one ritual separated into two. Moreover, the latter yuino was considered very serious, and its etiquette was established based on the Ogasawara style and other styles. Recently, it has become common to appoint a formal matchmaker and set a date for the wedding ceremony in anticipation of the yuino.

[Takeda Dan]

Legal relations of betrothal

A betrothal gift is a gift given by one party to the other, or by both parties, to confirm the formation of an engagement. Legally, if the marriage is not concluded, the person who received the betrothal gift is obligated to return it. There is an obligation to return it not only if the engagement is broken off, but also if it is dissolved by mutual consent. If a de facto or legal marriage is concluded, the purpose of the betrothal gift has been achieved, so there is no question of a claim for return even if the couple subsequently divorces. However, even if a de facto marriage is concluded, there is an obligation to return it if the period of cohabitation was short and it can be considered that the couple did not actually live together. There are also many court cases in which a claim for return from a gift giver who breaks off an engagement for reasons of his or her own responsibility is not recognized.

[Minoru Ishikawa and Masamitsu Nozawa]

"A Study of Yuino by Takeo Ota (1985, Ichiryusha)"

[Reference] | Marriage reservation | Engagement | Wedding

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

婚姻に先だって、通例、男家から女家に（婿養子の場合はその逆）贈られる金品、およびその儀礼。受け取った側で約半分の金品を返すことがあり、結納返しという。近来では、一般に結納をもって婚約の成立としており、またその際の金品を将来婚姻生活の資とすべく、多額かつ豪華にしようとする傾向がみられる。しかし各地で酒入れ、樽(たる)入れ、茶のものといった名称が聞かれるように、結納に金銭を伴わず、品物も飲食の料とするのが古習である。つまり、仲人(なこうど)が酒と肴(さかな)を持参して女家を訪れ、縁談の承諾を得れば、その場で酒を酌み交わして婚約を認めあうという風であった。そのとき婿自身も嫁側に行くことがあり、結納婿入り、婿一見(いちげん)などとよばれるように初婿入りの意味をもつものであった。このような共同飲食を通じて、両家は新たに共同労働たるユイの関係を結ぶ姻戚(いんせき)になるわけで、結納ということばもそのユイに基づくとの説がある。一方、結納をユイレ、イイレというのは言入れの訛(なま)りで、縁談の申し入れをさしたとする説もある。嫁入り婚が普及・発達するにつれ、酒入れやユイレは第一次の婚姻予約にすぎぬとされ、その後改めて金品を届け、婚約の確定を図るようになり、元来一つのものが二つの儀礼に分化した。しかも、後者の結納が重々しく考えられ、その作法も小笠原(おがさわら)流などを範として整えられていった。近来、結納を期して正式の仲人をたてたり、祝言(しゅうげん)の日取りを決めたりする風も広く行われている。

［竹田　旦］

結納の法律関係

結納は、婚約の成立を確認するために、当事者の一方から他方に、または双方がする贈与である。法律上は、婚姻が成立しなかった場合には、結納を受領した者は返還すべき義務を負う。婚約の破棄があった場合はもちろん、合意で婚約を解消した場合でも、返還義務がある。事実上のまたは法律上の婚姻が成立すれば、その後に離婚となっても、結納は目的を達したので、返還請求の問題は生じない。もっとも、事実上の婚姻が成立しても、同棲(どうせい)期間が短く、実質的にみて夫婦の共同生活が存在しなかったとみられうる場合には返還義務がある。また、自らの責任ある事由で婚約を破棄した結納の授与者からの返還請求を認めない裁判例が少なくない。

［石川　稔・野澤正充］

『太田武男著『結納の研究』（1985・一粒社）』

[参照項目] | 婚姻予約 | 婚約 | 婚礼

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例

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