Abstract: The concept, “It's not good for a woman to speak first,” in Japanese kuniumi sinwa has always been considered by scholars to be the result of the influence from the Chinese Confucian thoughts, “A wife is her husband's echo” and “man is superior to woman”. However, more careful analysis may discover that many doubts still exist and should be discussed again. If we back at the ancient Japanese society and re-examine the ancient marriage rituals of “the man humbly woos under the woman” defined in I Ching, we can conclude that the concept, “It's not good for a woman to speak first,” in Japanese kuniumi sinwa is not merely the result of the influence from the ideas, “A wife is her husband's echo” and “man is superior to woman” because they are not consistent with the reality of ancient Japanese society. It may also be the result of the influence from the marriage ritual, “The man humbly woos under the woman,” and divination in I Ching. A re-interpretation of this concept in Japanese kuniumi sinwa can offer us a new research perspective and direction in exploring the customs of marriage in ancient Japan and discussing the exchange and mutual influence between Chinese and Japanese literature and culture.

Key words: kojiki and nihon shoki, kuniumi sinwa, “, It's not good for a woman to speak first”, I Ching, “The man humbly woos under the woman”