Regarding Geoff Botting's May 20 translation (" 'Done it' marriages multiply") of a Shukan Post article: To my mind, the meaning of "dekikon" wasn't properly explained in the article. . . . Technicalities aside, in this day and age, pregnancies occurring among unmarried couples should not really be an issue at all. Why should you have to get married to start a family?
There should be no shame whatsoever in the bride expecting when she ties the knot. What young couple in Japan has not had sex before deciding to get married? And what on earth is the benefit of abstaining? You cannot truly be in love with someone until you have had sex with them.
Marriage is a formality. It is a nice gesture, but we should not pretend that people are supposed to be pure, untainted beings before exchanging vows. To do so is to deny human nature.