History
The practice of miai emerged in 16th century Japan among the samurai class to form and protect strong military alliances among warlords to ensure mutual support.. Later, during the Tokugawa period (1603–1868) the practice of miai spread to other urban classes trying to emulate samurai customs. Miai was a solemn practice and involved considerations that aren't given as much weight by most modern Japanese, such as family bloodlines and class. This type of miai is usually seen portrayed in films and television dramas.
After the Pacific War, the trend was to abandon the restrictive arranged-meetings system. Modern forms of miai are still practised in Japan today, although they are no longer as prevalent as they were in the pre-Meiji era. According to research by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research in 2005, it is estimated that around 6.2% of marriages in Japan are arranged.
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