[Summary]
In China, strong headlines such as ``60,000 marriage ceremony companies go bankrupt'' are appearing.
To be precise, according to the original data reported by 36Kr, over the past three years, more than 60,000 wedding services nationwide have faced management risks. Bankruptcy itself and management risk are not the same thing. However, the reason why the news is so shocking is that these numbers quite vividly reflect the structural changes in the Chinese bridal market.
What is happening in China's newlywed market is not simply a contraction of the market due to the declining birthrate.
The once ``large wedding receptions where parents paid for, showed off to relatives, and saved face'' are rapidly being abandoned by young people. Instead, the types of weddings that are growing are extremely simple weddings, photo weddings, destination weddings, and small weddings that combine with travel.
In Japan, the bridal market is shrinking due to the declining birthrate. However, over time, Japan has adapted to fewer people, higher prices, photo weddings, and weddings without weddings. China is even rougher. The market suddenly collapsed, and old-fashioned businesses were weeded out all at once.
There is an opportunity here for Japan's tourism and bridal industry. While the number of ``formal weddings'' in China is shrinking, spending on ``special experiences that are unique to us'' remains. Kyoto, Okinawa, Hokkaido, Karuizawa, Hakone. Japan's location and quality of service can accommodate this demand.
Differences between China and Japan
It would be a mistake to view the bridal markets in China and Japan as the same ``markets that are shrinking due to the declining birthrate.''
The decisive difference is who pays and why the ceremony is held.
| Comparison items | China's newlywed market | Japan's newlyweds' market |
|---|---|---|
| Market phase | Abrupt change of bubble burst type | Gradual contraction of mature market |
| Funding sources | Transitioning from parent-led to bride and groom-led mode | Bride and groom-led mode has taken root |
| Purpose of the ceremony | From face and social obligation to emotional value | From gratitude, commemoration, and self-expression |
| Issues for vendors | Weeding out old template vendors | Dealing with small numbers of people, high unit prices, and photo weddings |
| Room for growth | Destination weddings, travel deals, transparent pricing | Premiumization, inbound travel, commemorative travel |
Japan's downsizing progressed over a considerable period of time.
According to a preliminary report from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the number of marriages in 2025 was 505,656, an increase of 1.1% from the previous year. Although it will be affected by population decline in the long term, it is a mature, low-growth market rather than a sudden collapse.
On the other hand, in China, the number of marriage registrations has continued to decline since its peak in 2013, dropping to 6.106 million couples in 2024. Although the number recovered to 6.763 million pairs in 2025, it was 1.697 million pairs in the January-March period of 2026, a decrease of 113,000 pairs from the same period last year.
In other words, China's demographic trends, young people's values, consumer sentiment, and distrust of businesses are all happening at the same time. It's much more intense here than in Japan.
What is broken in China is not “marriage” but the old style of weddings
The reason why wedding companies in China are suffering is not because young people have stopped spending money on weddings at all.
What is really broken is the old model of ``expensive template weddings''.
In the past, fleets of luxury cars, huge banquet halls, flamboyant flower decorations, exaggerated performances by officiants, and long banquet halls were commonplace. There was a visit from the parents' generation, a presentation to relatives, and a report to the local community.
However, today's young people are quite dissatisfied with this structure.
"Why do we have to have our wedding hosted by an unknown officiant?"
“Why pay hundreds of thousands of yuan for a ceremony that lasts a few hours?”
“Why do we spend our savings on a show for our relatives?”
These questions suddenly came to the surface.
An article in 36Kr summarizes what young people are looking for as ``gender ratio'' and ``emotional intimacy.'' In Japanese, it means cost performance and emotional value.
This is quite important.
It's not that young people dislike weddings themselves, but rather that they dislike the meaningless additional fees, the information gap, and the convenience of businessmen. So, if the price is transparent, the photos are good, the travel experience is integrated, and we feel satisfied, we will spend money.
Three weddings and destination weddings are growing in China
China's new wedding trends are quite extreme.
One is the simplification, which is close to the three-party marriage ceremony.
Key point
Key point
Key pointOf course, not everyone can swing to this extreme. However, there is no doubt that young people are beginning to clearly sort out what they can do without.
Another option is a destination wedding.
36Kr reports that Dali, Yunnan Province, hosts more than 4,400 destination weddings a year, 90% of which are from outside the province. While traditional hotel weddings may have stalled, there remains demand for a combination of travel, photography and small ceremonies.
This is quite suggestive for Japan.
Young Chinese people are not necessarily looking for cheap formulas. Rather, they dislike ``meaningless and expensive weddings,'' but pay for ``experiences that are unique to them.''
This sense of consumption is compatible with Japan's tourism and bridal businesses.
The Japanese bridal market has already adapted
Japan's bridal market is shrinking, but it is not broken.
Yano Research Institute predicts that the size of the domestic bridal-related market in 2025 will be 1.85 trillion yen in six major fields, 100.3% of the previous year. Although it is not a market that will grow significantly, a certain size remains.
According to Mynavi Wedding's 2025 survey, the wedding ceremony rate for people aged 20 to 49 who got married between July 2024 and June 2025 was 59.1%. 26.3% said they have not held a wedding or have no plans.
In Japan, marriages without weddings, photo marriages, small number marriages, 1.5-part marriages, and kinship marriages have already been established as markets.
This is different from China.
Japan's industry has taken time to respond to the declining birthrate and declining number of marriages. Even if the number of guests is reduced, the unit price will be made up of food, costumes, photography, flower decorations, lodging, and commemorative trips. Although the market is shrinking, progress has been made in increasing the value of the experience for remaining customers.
China is now being forced to make these adjustments in a short period of time. That's why the selection is intense.
How Japanese companies win
The collapse of China's wedding market is not simply a source of pessimism for Japanese companies.
In fact, there is a possibility that Japan will be able to accommodate young people who have fled the old style of domestic weddings in China.
Destination Wedding
The most obvious one is inbound destination weddings.
The streets of Kyoto, the sea of Okinawa, the snow of Hokkaido, the forests of Karuizawa, and the inns of Hakone. There are locations in Japan that are difficult to replace within China.
Moreover, Japan's strengths are not limited to its scenery.
Time management, costumes, hair and makeup, photography, customer service, meals, lodging, and transportation. This detailed management quality is extremely effective for destination weddings. Japan's transparent packaging is easy to differentiate from the distrust that young Chinese people complain about, such as ``convenience from the vendor,'' ``additional charges,'' and ``the actual product differs from the photo.''
Photo marriage and travel beats
The next strongest option is photo weddings.
The travel culture is already big in China. The slump at major domestic companies should be seen as a reaction to excessive advertising and distrust of quality, rather than the end of the boom itself.
Japanese location photos are easy to find here.
Cherry blossoms, autumn leaves, snowy scenery, Japanese clothing, shrines, beaches, hot spring towns. Easy to show on SNS and easy to keep as an album. If you can advertise directly through RED or Douyin, you can get a higher unit price than through traditional travel agencies.
Instead of newlyweds, live with 1 or 2 people
Furniture and home appliances are viewed a little differently.
If the number of marriages in China does not increase over the long term, demand based on the assumption that people will buy newlyweds as a set will weaken. The targets here are young people living alone, couples living together, DINKS, and couples living in a common-law marriage.
Space saving, high design, quiet, easy to clean, small size but high performance. The context of Zojirushi, Panasonic, and Balmuda has the potential to resonate with young urban dwellers in China.
It is better to look at it as a lifestyle market rather than a marriage market.
Investment/Business Strategy
There are three directions Japanese companies can take.
| Area | Winning potential | Points to note |
|---|---|---|
| Bridal facilities | Small group/destination weddings for China | Designed to include photos, accommodation, and transportation, rather than a group banquet type |
| Hotels/Inns | Integrated plan for wedding ceremony + stay + photography | Chinese language support, payment, and SNS communication required |
| Photos/costumes | Japanese clothing/location shooting | Price transparency and delivery quality are important |
| Furniture and home appliances | High value-added products for 1 to 2 people | Redefined for "urban dwellers" rather than "newlyweds" |
Personally, I think the most promising option is "small high unit price."
Young people in China have moved away from the ostentatious consumption of the masses. However, people will still pay for experiences that remain in photos, souvenirs that are integrated with the trip, and stories that are different from others.
What Japanese companies should do is not replace huge wedding receptions. The goal is to create transparent and beautiful wedding products that can be held for less than 30 people, or even just two people.
Risk
Of course, it's not easy.
Inbound weddings to China come with risks such as foreign exchange, visas, flights, Japan-China relations, social media regulations, payments, and language support.
Furthermore, the consumption habits of young people in China are quite severe. We are no longer in an era where you buy something even if it's expensive because it's a Japanese brand. If Xiao Hongsho gets a bad reputation, reservations will stop immediately.
Another important thing is not to overestimate the demand for weddings.
In the long term, the number of marriages in China is subject to strong population constraints. Therefore, we cannot assume that the market as a whole will return to the way it was before. It is not the ``overall'' that will grow, but the ``high value-added experience that gives a sense of satisfaction.''
Summary
The news that 60,000 wedding ceremonies in China are at risk is not just a sign of an industry recession.
The story is that the old style of face-to-face weddings has broken down and the market is shifting to experience-based weddings led by young people.
The Japanese bridal market has already adapted to smaller numbers, weddings without weddings, photo weddings, and higher unit prices. That experience can be very helpful when reading about the restructuring of the Chinese market.
The way to win for Japanese companies is not to steal large wedding receptions in China. The idea is to use locations like Kyoto, Okinawa, Hokkaido, and Karuizawa to create small, high-priced products that integrate wedding ceremonies, photography, accommodation, and travel.
Young Chinese people are cold towards formal weddings. However, we still spend money on special experiences that are unique to us.
Whether or not we can capture this will be the next chance for Japan's tourism and bridal industry.
Reference information
- 36Kr “Closed down 60,000-family marriage company, fixed age pensioner” https://www.36kr.com/p/3817281557660549
- Report on data from the Ministry of Civil Affairs in China: “Nationwide marriage registration for 2026: 1,697,000 yuan” https://finance.sina.cn/2026-05-10/detail-inhxktnm2707185.d.html
- Yano Research Institute “Conducting a survey on the bridal market (2025)” https://www.yano.co.jp/press-release/show/press_id/3799
- Mynavi Wedding “2025 Marriage/Wedding Situation Survey” https://www.mynavi.jp/news/2025/09/post_50240.html
- Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare “Vital Statistics Bulletin (December 2020)” https://www.mhlw.go.jp/toukei/saikin/hw/jinkou/geppo/s2025/dl/202512h.pdf