TOKYO -- June is considered to be the month of weddings, and Japan is no exception. But these days, a group of girlfriends in fancy dresses apparently heading to or coming back from a wedding has become a less common sight. The days of lavish weddings are gone. Couples are increasingly opting for simple weddings or no wedding at all -- one in two now merely submit a piece of paper.
But the shrinking Japanese wedding industry has found a savior. The number of foreign couples tying the knot in Japan has grown rapidly in recent years.