Publishing

"夫婦別姓の現在、インターネットでパフォーマンス"

• 「リストラ家族」著作：遠藤誠・池内ひろみ
  社会批評社
• 1996年
• インタビュー

"Performing on the Internet"

• The Restructured family--Revise of Civil law and taking separate surnames in marriage, (book)
  by Endo Makoto and Ikeuchi Hiromi.
  Shakai Hyouron Sha
• 1996
• interview

"The Restructured Family"
a book by Makoto Endo and Hiromi Ikeuchi,
1996, Shakai Hihyousha Publishing, p45-50

Revise of civil law and taking separate surnames in marriage

Chapter 2: Contemporary Issues in Fuufu Betsusei (taking separate surnames in marriage)

Performing on the Internet

Without any affiliation with activist groups or organizations, Rica Takashima explores in a real world and a virtual world the issues surrounding Fuufu Betsusei, or taking separate surnames in marriage.

"Have you heard of an artists group that has been examining Foufu Betsusei in the real world and by way of an Internet performance?"

One day in November 1996, a friend of mine phones me and gives me a URL address for the home page titled "Love Love Ceremony."

The page opens with dancing letters that read "It is the grand day for Love Love Ceremony!" with a backdrop of a dove flying with a lucky clover in its mouth. With a click of a mouse, you are ready to navigate this delightful page for directions to the actual ceremony location, a live broadcasting of ongoing wedding parties, pictures from previous ceremonies, and a whole bunch more of fun pictures and illustrations.

The home page's owner is the artist Rica Takashima.

Born in 1965, Rica Takashima began producing stage art for small theater companies while still studying at Japan's most acclaimed Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, Fine Arts Department, Design Division. Since graduation, her portfolio has expanded to include such main stream works as the title illustration for "Hoshi no Kinka: Part two," a wildly popular TV drama series produced by Japan TV, and numerous other works for magazines and TV advertisements. Golden locks peek out under her trademark beret.

The homepage for "Love Love Ceremony" is actually a part of her base site called "Aozora Art." She has installed a series of art events with the same name since July 1994 in Harajuku Square, and in Hibiya and Ueno after Harjuku Square was closed down.
From July to December 1996, she produced "Aozora Art 10: Love Love Ceremony" in Yoyogi, which was webcast simultaneously in her homepage.

How does Rica Takashima's project grapple with Foufu Betsusei, currently a highly contentious matter in Japan regarding civil and legal rights in marriage?

To answer this question, let's look at the ceremony that took place in November 10th when a nine- year old Sally and a 12-year old Tommy got married. They seem a little too young for any serious commitment just yet but at Love Love Ceremony, anyone, regardless of age and sex, can tie the knot. According to the web record, the adorable little couple took up a new name Sammy. A couple can choose the same last name, separate ones, or an entirely new one if they would prefer. Sally and Tommy are from a fairy land and decide to wear a Native American costumes for a memorial photo, which in turn was uploaded to Love Love Ceremony's homepage.
From 10 to 15 couples marry at each event.

After seeing Aozora Art's homepage in November 24, I grew curious and called Rica Takashima to get a permission to participate in one of the afternoon's ceremonies.

At the center of a sparkling entrance hall with a handsome high ceiling is a performance booth the size of two beach parasols. I tell someone that I saw the homepage and that person introduces me to Rica Takashima, who sports blonde locks and a big beret. I notice that other members of Aozora Art also wear colorful berets.

Aozora Art does not have any fixed members, but as Rica Takashima comes up with a new project, her friends and volunteer members would in their day-offs to help organize it. They include students in their 20's, people in the 30's whose day jobs are as diverse as a graphic designer, a sales representative, a computer engineer, and those who work various part-time positions.

"Foufu Betsusei is not the only subject I am concerned with and wish to deal with in my work.
By way of creative and entertaining performances, I try to appeal on all matters important to ordinary people just like you and me.

As Rica Takashima continues, a young couple arrives for their wedding ceremony.

A 32-year old man and a 29-year old woman saw the event as they walked nearby and decided to have a ceremony, even though they had already been married. Currently the couple uses the wife's maiden name as a family name. This is however not due to so-called Muko-youshi, or a case of a husband inheriting his father-in-law's business.
The 32-year old is a proud business owner.

"I decided to take my wife's last name as a proof of taking care of her parents in the future,
so to speak. It was possibly a better option than doing nothing about the accepted system
of marriage, which automatically assumes that a woman takes a man's surname. However, I have noticed that when a married couple uses separate surnames, things can get a little complicated," explains the husband.

Within a corporate environment, very few men change their last names after marriage due to conceivable inconvenience in business dealings. Even it a man runs his own business, changing his last name is not always a simple matter. When his business needs a loan from a financial institution, for instance, detailed explanations as to why his name changed are often required.

Two years of marriage has added no sign of boredom or weariness to this attractive couple.
Rica Takashima chats with them as they sign, with their hands sweetly clasped, an application form for the ceremony. The simple form asks applicants to write what each appreciates the most about the other and to acknowledge that for about each other.

"What name would you two like to use after your union?" Rica Takashima asks the couple.
The name does not have to be a common one. The same name or separate ones, all is fine.
The two can make one up if they would like. This is when the artist says she becomes painfully aware that imagination surrounding the institution of marriage is hopelessly impoverished.

"People are often very constricted in their thinking. A majority of single women without a doubt write their boyfriends' last name because they think that is a customary thing to do.
Only after my suggestions, they become aware that choices are available, though often they still cannot decide what to pick. These women have never really given any thoughts about sirnames.

After deciding on the new name, the couple chooses among wooden boards with a variety of costumes drawn by Rica Takashima. Each board is a size of a person and has a hole through which, when a person stands behind it, her or his face will show. Besides a conventional white gown and tuxedo, the costumes include a princess from Edo samurai period, Chima Chogori, unabashed Adam and Eve with no proper leaves covering their private parts, a mermaid, gold fish, a dog, a cat and so on. Memorial pictures are taken after the couple chose their favored boards to stand behind. They then walk up the stairs made a la Gone with the Wind and pose atop, while at the bottom, eight staff members from Aozora Art plays the Wedding March using a toy keyboard and percussion. The couple smiles bashfully. After the musical performance, the staff members proceed to form an arch, through which the couple walks while being showered with cheers and congratulatory words.

Photos from the ceremony are set in a beautiful album to be signed by the couple, which will be later presented to them as an art work. Eyewitnesses, including myself, are asked to cosign.

"Don't you think it's a little odd that, even though our generation is the one that is actually getting married, Foufu Betsusei as a legal matter has been debated and decided on by older men who most likely have totally different views on marriage? I don't necessarily take a side on the matter,though."

Rica Takashima continues as her golden locks swing beneath the beret.

"Rather, I want to break all stereotypes people have about marriage. Through my art,
I want to inspire people to think more freely about it, outside a narrow range of pros and cons of taking the same name or a separate one."

This explains why those who tie the knot at Love Love Ceremony are not limited to conventional heterosexual couples but also same-sex couples, two kids, a group of five, or a child and a parent.

Since wedding parties are broadcast live on the Internet, everyone who has access to a computer is invited to join the cerebration. Blessing arrives from all around the globe since the webpage has an English version as well.

"Some things that Japanese people take for granted can seem very peculiar to the rest of the world.
I suppose Foofu Betsusei is one of such examples," says Rica Takashima.

For those who live in the world where more liberal interpretations of marriage have been accepted, Japan may appear bizarre and such a debate over marriage rather juvenile.

The project on Foofu Betsusei will end in December and Rica Takashima is already preparing for a new event for children called "Art Street Fair," which will start in the spring.

"The show will not teach kids how to draw pictures. It will ask 'if I gave them a white book, what would they draw?'" she talks of the new project.

Rica Takashima continues to challenge existing ideas through her powerful weapon called Aozora Art.