"Japan had been isolated from the west for centuries and it was only late in the 19th century that the emergence of photography began to reveal Japan’s feudal societies and culture to western societies.
Italian traveler and war correspondent Felice Beato (1832–1909) Took these photos while in Japan. Arriving in 1863 Beato spent more than twenty years in the port city of Yokohama capturing the earliest glimpses of this hidden culture, and later had a great influence on the style of the Yokohama School."
From the compilation Japanese Dream published by Hatje Cantz
"The idea of humiliating either the bride or the groom, or both, before marriage is present in many cultures. In Scotland, the bride and the groom are ambushed by their friends and covered in all sorts of foul and disgusting substances such as sauces, molasses, spoiled curry, smelly fish, syrups, spoiled milk etc. and then feathered. They are then either tied to a tree or taken through the local streets while their friends clang on pots to announce the wedding. The ritual is meant to prepare the couple for the difficulties of marriage."