My traditional Japanese wedding?

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to demonstrate deep gaze using a Japanese Shinto wedding ceremony as an example. Some long-term tourists develop an intimate understanding of the host country’s culture by gaining access to authentic experiences typically limited to the locals. These native visitors experience a deep gaze.

Design/methodology/approach

Combing subjective personal introspection (SPI) and confirmatory personal introspection (CPI), the author’s 76 wedding photographs are examined critically.

Findings

Results demonstrate how a native visitor uses SPI and CPI analyses of native gaze. While the Shinto wedding ceremony’s authenticity mixes traditional and evolutionary elements, the ceremony is best viewed as a Gestalt experience. The evidence suggests authenticity need not have deep roots in the culture.

Research limitations/implications

The findings serve as only one configuration of many possible gazes. Tourist Gaze 4.0 is a set of complex antecedent conditions and multiple configurations.

Originality/value

Using photographs taken by native family members, this paper demonstrates how SPI and CPI identify deep gaze through a different lens.

Citation

Martin, D. (2015), "My traditional Japanese wedding?", International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research, Vol. 9 No. 4, pp. 423-432. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCTHR-08-2015-0088