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mateomiguel
Joined: 16 May 2005
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 Posted: Thu Nov 02, 2006 9:31 pm Post subject: forget teaching in japan, ministering is where its at! |
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6067002.stm
| BBC wrote: |
Faking it as a priest in Japan
With a rise in the popularity of Christian-style weddings in Japan, some Westerners are finding they can make a lucrative living by acting as priests. But it does not please everyone, particularly genuine priests, as Kathleen McCaul reports.
Mark Kelly is originally from Lancashire in England. He has been living in Japan for six years and, at the weekend, he is a fake priest.
"I was living in Sapporo, studying Japanese, and I needed the money. It's far better paid than teaching in a language school," he said.
"Being a fake priest is big business in Japan - I've done a TV commercial for one company," he added. "In Sapporo, there are five agencies employing about 20 fake priests. In a city like Tokyo, there must be hundreds."
The fake Western priests are employed at Western-style weddings to give a performance and add to the atmosphere. These are not legal ceremonies - the couples also have to make a trip to the local registrar.
"In the past almost all weddings in Japan were Shinto, but in the last few years Western-style weddings have appeared and become very popular," said one Japanese priest.
"People like the dress, the kiss and the image. Japanese Christians make up only 1% of the country, but now about 90% of weddings are in the Christian style."
"At the hotel where I work, there is a Christian chapel next to a Shinto chapel. The Christian chapel is always in use, but the Shinto chapel is being used as a storeroom," Mr Kelly said.
The fake Western priests are used to create an authentic Christian feel.
"There are Japanese priests, but most couples are trying to re-create a European wedding, so overwhelmingly ask for a foreign priest," said Momo, who works at Morito Ishi Kyokai (forest and stone) chapel.
Supermarket chic
Western-style chapels are often found in unexpected places.
Morito Ishi Kyokai is on the sixth floor of a supermarket in Sapporo.
As you walk between sushi restaurants, cake shops and noodle bars, a grey plastic stone grotto decked in plastic flowers and fairy lights suddenly appears. There are plastic cherubs and little fountains inside.
"It is designed in the style of mid-century stone churches in Europe," said Momo.
Mr Kelly worked at the chapel when it first opened.
"Because it was in a shopping centre, you got the sounds of vegetables on special offer," he said.
"It's very popular because it's still new," added Momo.
Omi Junko plays the flute in a club and comes to the chapel to practise.
"I like to come here. It has a good atmosphere because it is a church," she said.
Hazards of the job
The fake priests in Japan sometimes have to deal with difficult situations.
"Once I was holding a ceremony and an old man dressed head to toe in military uniform hobbled to the front and fell asleep," said Mr Kelly.
"Halfway through the service, he opened his eyes and I think he was back in Burma or Thailand. He looked straight at me, stood up and started unsheathing his rifle. Fortunately he was pretty slow and his relatives stopped him."
Once, the bride vomited on me and then fainted. It wasn't very romantic
Mark Kelly
Mr Kelly has often presided over ceremonies where the bride is pregnant.
"It is common. Once, the bride vomited on me and then fainted. It wasn't very romantic," he said.
Another difficulty is meeting genuine Japanese priests.
"We do occasionally bump into the real thing. They are very much against us, but there are not enough genuine Japanese priests to meet the demand" he said.
One Japanese Christian priest spoke out, but did not want to be identified.
"It is a real problem for us. They are not genuine and they give us a bad name," he said.
"It is important for the bride and groom to have a proper wedding, and they are not getting it from these foreign priests. I have even heard of hotels using staff when they can't find anyone else."
Omi Junko was surprised to find out that some of the Western priests were not genuine.
"I thought the priests were all real and I think everyone in Japan thinks that," she said.
But Mr Kelly argues that the ceremony is not about religion, but about image.
"I give a good performance. I use an Apache wedding prayer in my ceremony. It works very well, although I had to take out the part about the bear god in the sky," he said.
"If people are crying by the end of the wedding, I think I have done a good job."
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Thu Nov 02, 2006 9:37 pm Post subject: |
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"Yeah, we'll go get smashed and pick us up a couple of lasses but first I gotta bless some Japs."
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riley
Joined: 08 Feb 2003
Location: where creditors can find me
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| Posted: Thu Nov 02, 2006 10:12 pm Post subject: |
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| Hmm, I've got the black shirt, now where can I get the dog collar? |
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Mashimaro
Joined: 31 Jan 2003
Location: location, location
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| Posted: Thu Nov 02, 2006 10:48 pm Post subject: |
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| riley wrote: |
| Hmm, I've got the black shirt, now where can I get the dog collar? |
이마트? |
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ThePoet
Joined: 15 May 2004
Location: No longer in Korea - just lurking here
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| Posted: Fri Nov 03, 2006 8:39 am Post subject: |
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Why be a fake priest when you can become ordained in a matter of minutes and perform legal marriages, christenings, and funerals. If you go to www.ulc.org you can become ordained online and they sell all the paraphenalia associated with performing ceremonies and services.
That way,you could be a real holy man.
Poet |
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Kenny Kimchee
Joined: 12 May 2003
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| Posted: Fri Nov 03, 2006 4:35 pm Post subject: |
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I did the lite version of this while I lived in Japan. I wasnt the actual priest (he was Japanese), I just sat on the stage and read two verses from the Bible. I got kitted up in a white robe and sat in a chair near the priest. He would do the service and read from the Bible in Japanese. He cued me and I stood up, bowed, read the passage in English, bowed again, and sat down. I totally hammed it up and read in my best booming preacher voice - they loved it.
I only did it about 15 times (it was my buddys gig and I covered for him when he was busy) but it was great. I sat on stage so I could see the faces of the bride and groom during the service and it was fun to watch them (nervous, solemn, happy, crying, etc.). J-girls dress like total sluts when they attend weddings so there was always a lot of eye candy. 5000 yen for 45 minutes, 42 of which I just sat there and watched - easy money.
I knew a Western guy who was fluent in Japanese and did the entire service himself (he went the mail order route to get ordained). He was getting 20,000 yen a service and could do three or four on a Saturday - talk about easy money!
The best part is that Im an atheist - if theres a Christian Hell Im totally going there!  |
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flotsam
Joined: 28 Mar 2006
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| Posted: Fri Nov 03, 2006 4:54 pm Post subject: |
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| Kenny Kimchee wrote: |
I did the lite version of this while I lived in Japan. I wasnt the actual priest (he was Japanese), I just sat on the stage and read two verses from the Bible. I got kitted up in a white robe and sat in a chair near the priest. He would do the service and read from the Bible in Japanese. He cued me and I stood up, bowed, read the passage in English, bowed again, and sat down. I totally hammed it up and read in my best booming preacher voice - they loved it.
I only did it about 15 times (it was my buddys gig and I covered for him when he was busy) but it was great. I sat on stage so I could see the faces of the bride and groom during the service and it was fun to watch them (nervous, solemn, happy, crying, etc.). J-girls dress like total sluts when they attend weddings so there was always a lot of eye candy. 5000 yen for 45 minutes, 42 of which I just sat there and watched - easy money.
I knew a Western guy who was fluent in Japanese and did the entire service himself (he went the mail order route to get ordained). He was getting 20,000 yen a service and could do three or four on a Saturday - talk about easy money!
The best part is that Im an atheist - if theres a Christian Hell Im totally going there! |
Two lessons to garner from this:
1. Christian stupidity is transnationally adaptive.
2. This sock is a scumball, in his own mind. |
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Kenny Kimchee
Joined: 12 May 2003
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| Posted: Fri Nov 03, 2006 5:38 pm Post subject: |
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| flotsam wrote: |
| Kenny Kimchee wrote: |
I did the lite version of this while I lived in Japan. I wasnt the actual priest (he was Japanese), I just sat on the stage and read two verses from the Bible. I got kitted up in a white robe and sat in a chair near the priest. He would do the service and read from the Bible in Japanese. He cued me and I stood up, bowed, read the passage in English, bowed again, and sat down. I totally hammed it up and read in my best booming preacher voice - they loved it.
I only did it about 15 times (it was my buddys gig and I covered for him when he was busy) but it was great. I sat on stage so I could see the faces of the bride and groom during the service and it was fun to watch them (nervous, solemn, happy, crying, etc.). J-girls dress like total sluts when they attend weddings so there was always a lot of eye candy. 5000 yen for 45 minutes, 42 of which I just sat there and watched - easy money.
I knew a Western guy who was fluent in Japanese and did the entire service himself (he went the mail order route to get ordained). He was getting 20,000 yen a service and could do three or four on a Saturday - talk about easy money!
The best part is that Im an atheist - if theres a Christian Hell Im totally going there! |
Two lessons to garner from this:
1. Christian stupidity is transnationally adaptive.
2. This sock is a scumball, in his own mind. |
I joined this site on 12 May 2003. You joined on 28 Mar 2006. You call me a sock. That is rich. |
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flotsam
Joined: 28 Mar 2006
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| Posted: Fri Nov 03, 2006 5:44 pm Post subject: |
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| Kenny Kimchee wrote: |
I joined this site on 12 May 2003. You joined on 28 Mar 2006. You call me a sock. That is rich. |
My bad.
Old sock. |
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Benbby
Joined: 06 Feb 2006
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| Posted: Tue Nov 07, 2006 2:57 am Post subject: |
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| I think fake Christian priests in Japan is great. What fun. More cultural Christians in the world, this is progress. We like Christmas carols at Christmas, but not the whole guilt deal, it is a nice ritual. Another reason to like Japan. |
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OiGirl
Joined: 23 Jan 2003
Location: Hoke-y-gun
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| Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2006 3:50 am Post subject: |
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| ThePoet wrote: |
Why be a fake priest when you can become ordained in a matter of minutes and perform legal marriages, christenings, and funerals. If you go to www.ulc.org you can become ordained online and they sell all the paraphenalia associated with performing ceremonies and services.
That way,you could be a real holy man.
Poet |
Yeah, I was going to say, I'm ordained clergy in a number of churches. What do you think I can charge per wedding here, since everyone has to go to city hall and register their wedding anyway? |
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Hollywoodaction
Joined: 02 Jul 2004
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| Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2006 7:15 am Post subject: |
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| ThePoet wrote: |
Why be a fake priest when you can become ordained in a matter of minutes and perform legal marriages, christenings, and funerals. If you go to www.ulc.org you can become ordained online and they sell all the paraphenalia associated with performing ceremonies and services.
That way,you could be a real holy man.
Poet |
I was going to suggest that. |
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Hollywoodaction
Joined: 02 Jul 2004
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| Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2006 7:33 am Post subject: |
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| flotsam wrote: |
| Kenny Kimchee wrote: |
I did the lite version of this while I lived in Japan. I wasnt the actual priest (he was Japanese), I just sat on the stage and read two verses from the Bible. I got kitted up in a white robe and sat in a chair near the priest. He would do the service and read from the Bible in Japanese. He cued me and I stood up, bowed, read the passage in English, bowed again, and sat down. I totally hammed it up and read in my best booming preacher voice - they loved it.
I only did it about 15 times (it was my buddys gig and I covered for him when he was busy) but it was great. I sat on stage so I could see the faces of the bride and groom during the service and it was fun to watch them (nervous, solemn, happy, crying, etc.). J-girls dress like total sluts when they attend weddings so there was always a lot of eye candy. 5000 yen for 45 minutes, 42 of which I just sat there and watched - easy money.
I knew a Western guy who was fluent in Japanese and did the entire service himself (he went the mail order route to get ordained). He was getting 20,000 yen a service and could do three or four on a Saturday - talk about easy money!
The best part is that Im an atheist - if theres a Christian Hell Im totally going there! |
Two lessons to garner from this:
1. Christian stupidity is transnationally adaptive.
2. This sock is a scumball, in his own mind. |
Why? What's so wrong about being a fake priest? It's a fake wedding, after all. The real wedding takes place at cityhall, just like in Korea. |
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