Why don't many married Japanese men and women wear their wedding rings?

On certain occasions women will remove their wedding rings and that may cause some to have a negative perception of women in society. However not all are guilty of it. I'm a proponent of women and men wearing their wedding ring at all times. I believe that if you have really committed to your other half, your marriage and love then you should want to let everybody know. If you don't want to let it be known, at least through wearing your wedding ring, then why even get married. A wedding ring is a symbol of love, commitment and is something many women desire to wear one day and something that all women can't wait to show off the minute they get it. In the end it is sad when some people remove them in questionably situations.

<They are dangerous for many sports <They can get lost in water sports <They are very dangerous with machinery <They fall off of the hands quite easily if pottery is your thing. <If you do a lot of house painting, they get paint all clogged in them <If you cook a lot, they can find their way down the sink easily <I do not think it is just a Japanese thing.

They make them feel like they are copying the west. Japanese people don't like to do that.

And, as the recent popularity of Ashley Madison pointed out, Japanese couples aren't all that committed.

to seem single and available

A ring is a purely symbolic thing, and "many" Japanese men just don't feel what it is supposed to symbolize. If they did, they would wear it.

Don't see a problem. I don't wear mine. I am the only one who needs to know or remember that I am hitched.

<They are dangerous for many sports <They can get lost in water sports <They are very dangerous with machinery <They fall off of the hands quite easily if pottery is your thing. <If you do a lot of house painting, they get paint all clogged in them <If you cook a lot, they can find their way down the sink easily <I do not think it is just a Japanese thing.

MyTimeIsYourTime - Not one realistic scenario there unless you think the average Japanese couple were operating heavy machinery or leave their rings just hanging off their fingers.

Some do, some don't. Some sometimes do, sometimes don't. Seems much more of a personal thing here than in the west where it is more de rigeur. Freedom of choice?

Huh? Every married couple I see / know wear them. Maybe not old folks.

@gaijinfo. Good one, ashlyey madison.

clamenzo: The people I hang with do much more with their lives than sit behind a computer screen and commenting day and night on a site like this. The rings get in the way. Not picking on you, but tell me, what do your friends do for leisure and work that always wear their rings? SOunds like a great life.

The rings get in the way. Not picking on you, but tell me, what do your friends do for leisure and work that always wear their rings? SOunds like a great life.

When did I say my friends always wore their rings? I was only pointing out how silly your argument was. Oh dear...

Rings been on for 19 years - never off.

Survived tennis, surfing,concreting(lots of), skiing, gardening, cooking, hiking, chain-sawing, even massaging!

Shaped has changed for sure - but never think about it. Wife's the same.

I put it on because it had meaning and just left it there. To conciously remove it - well it's a free world I guess.

because it is a bit awkward for the guy to wear the ring at the snack or "health" club, and for the woman when meeting the tennis instructor lover, and it is troublesome to keep on taking it off and putting it back on

A wedding ring is a symbol of love, commitment and is something many women desire to wear one day and something that all women can't wait to show off the minute they get it. In the end it is sad when some people remove them in questionably situations.

Um...some good men too, right?! ;)

I wear mine at all times because that is my culture. It is getting slightly bashed up and scratched now after 12 years. Kinda symbolic when you think about it....!

My husband (Japanese) sometimes wears his and sometimes doesn't. He wears it to work every day but he'll usually not wear it to the gym, or to some sports thing he is doing for obvious reasons. the first thought in my mind funnily enough is not "oh my god what does this mean??!" If he's gonna cheat, a ring aint gonna stop him none!

He told me once that Japanese don't wear their rings (particularly engagement rings for women) because - and I damned near died laughing at this one - "It is not polite in Japanese society to make people jealous" - says the guy head to toe in designer gear that cost more than my engagement ring and likes to prance around in the fanciest cars he can lay his hands on. Another example of the insane hypocrisy there. (Sorry - a little down on J culture right now for reasons unrelated to this!)

What bothers me is that the engagement ring is not worn with it - defeating its purpose entirely.

Ours is a ringless marriage as well. I never wore one, mainly because I hate wearing rings (or any other kind of jewelry). My wife stopped wearing hers after a skin irritation.

A ring is not going to stop someone from having an affair. I have had a few friends tell me that wearing a wedding ring actually helps attract some women.

I don't see the need to announce to the world "we are married!"

Going in 16 years now. (As far as I know, there is no correlation between wedding ring use/disuse and divorce.)

Well, when you live in a culture that seems to punish women for being married, there comes an inherent shame.

My wife's experience was constant questioning from coworkers on personal issues ("When are you having children" / "Will you quit?" / "Don't you want to be a stay-at-home wife") to being lectured by her management about how "you might lose customers if they see you're married". (Department store job, btw)

I'm the same as commanteer: I can't stand wearing rings and other unnecessary decorations. I'm not even sure where my ring is. My wife wears her ring very occasionally. I don't know why anybody else should care: it's none of their business.

My husband is Japanese and he's never taken his off... I haven't worn mine consistently for a few years (since I got pregnant) because my hands (and feet) got a bit bigger unfortunately, and it's uncomfortable. I know you can get them fitted but until we're done with having kids I think I'll leave it. Anyway mine is still shiny and clean and his is a bit worse for the wear so there is that :)

My wife said she was pleasantly surprised that I wear mine all the time. I didn't even think about it until then, as I always wear another ring that was given to me on my 18th birthday. Besides that, my finger is the safest place for it but I might take it off when visiting certain countries.

I only take mine off at the gym. My wife, as far as I know, never takes hers off.