A Wedding of Taiwan Gentry at the Taiwan Shinto Shrine

During the Japanese occupation of Taiwan, Japanese in Taiwan promoted the Kōminka movement where Taiwanese would start adopting Japanese practices. Their desire was to completely change the lifestyle of the Taiwanese people, with even weddings needing to be done in the Shinto fashion. At the time, many of the gentry class who had closer relations with the Japanese were willing to comply with such policies and hold weddings in Shinto shrines. After the wedding ceremony was over, a group picture would be taken in front of the shrine—a practice that enjoyed much popularity at the time.
This picture was taken at the Taiwan Shinto Shrine (located at what is now Grand Hotel Taipei). The newlywed couple is dressed in western attire, and family members to either side are either in dressed in kimonos or in suits and dresses. This juxtaposition of Western and Japanese is quite interesting.
The two girls behind the new couple are servants that accompanied the new bride. They became adopted daughters in the husband’s family.