I did not realize that arranged marriage was still a Thing in modern Japan, omg

In a moment of, "...whoa," my mother has returned from Japan. That is not the "...whoa." The "...whoa" comes in with the news that my grandfather and uncle were apparently seriously considering omiai for my cousin Ami, before my mother arrived, heard about this, and went, "NO GOOD LORD NO END THIS IMMEDIATELY." Then Ami arrived, freaked out, and was informed that she had been spared by mother, which apparently resulted in copious, "Thank you, Auntie Mariko!"

My grandfather and my uncle, who are both rather traditional Japanese men, are apparently quite concerned about Ami. Less concerned about my other cousin Maya, but Maya has A Plan and is also a LPN, while Ami is working towards getting her degree in accounting in New York. They worry about what Ami is doing with her life, if she's living comfortably, if she's taken up with Bad (a.k.a. Black) Men. (Some days, I am surprised that my mother was not disinherited for marrying a white guy, but then again, she is the darling only daughter of the family.) So somehow they got to talking with another family of Good Name, which was suddenly really interested in getting their son together with Ami. They pulled out the genealogy charts and everything. (Since my mother's family is a samurai family, apparently we are much in demand? Or something.) Ami was apparently extremely displeased when she heard about this, as despite being born in Japan, Ami (and Maya) has spent most of her life living in America; they went to boarding school in Hawaii and both went to or currently attend American universities.

Some days, I am very glad that I am the crazy half-Caucasian American cousin that no one (please gods) is going to try and marry off.