<!-- 551.html -->  <div id="pagebody_outline">    <div id="left_box">      <div id="int_title_box">        <div id="int_titie_box_top"><!-- Image --></div>        <div id="midashi">The number of international marriages has been increasing these days. According to the Health,Labor and Welfare Ministry’s statistics of movement of population, there were 36030 international marriages in 2003 and this accounted for 4.8% of the total number of marriages. One in every twenty couples is an international marriage and it is becoming more and more common around the world.<br /><br /><br /></div>        <div id="int_titie_box_bottom"><!-- Image --></div>      </div>      <div class="both10"></div>    <!-- MTinternational03 -->      <div> </div>      <div class="both10"></div>      <div id="int_box_left"><font color="#0033cc"><strong>Malaysian man and Japanese woman couple<p/><br />Husband: Chiui Yan<br />Wife:  Narumi Matsumata</strong> </font> </div>    <!-- MTinternational03 -->                        <div id="int_box_right">            <div class="int_photo">              <div class="int_photo_top">              <!-- Image -->              </div>            <img src="/english/images/international/551_international_05.JPG" width="60" />              <div class="int_photo_bottom">              <!-- Image -->              </div>            </div>            <div class="int_photo2">              <div class="int_photo_top">              <!-- Image -->              </div>            <img src="/english/images/international/551_international_06.JPG" width="60" />              <div class="int_photo_bottom">              <!-- Image -->              </div>              <div class="both"></div>            </div>            <p>Malaysian and Japanese couple</p>          </div>                    <div class="both10"></div>      <div id="article">        <div id="article_left">                                  <img src="/english/images/international/551_international_08.JPG" width="140" />                                                                              </div>      <!-- international_13 -->        <div id="article_right"><font color="#FF3366">Q:Where did you meet for the first time?<p/><br />What was the first impression of each other? </font><br /><br />As a part-timer, he joined the restaurant where I worked<br /> in the summer of 2001.  Then he was not so good at Japanese, <br />he sometimes made incoherent responses.<br />While going out to karaoke with our colleagues, <br />we gradually become friendly.<br />My Japanese continued improving thank to Narumi.<br />He knows even what the Japanese don’t know well.<br /><br /><font color="#FF3366">Q: What made you decide to marry? </font><br /><br />When I reached 30 years of age, I dared to propose to her.<br />Shall we marry, Na-chan?<br />That’s not what you said.  You said <br />“Will you marry me, please?”<br /><br /><font color="#FF3366">Q: How was your parents’ reaction for that? </font><br /><br />My mother in Malaysia was so glad.<br />Actually she will come to Japan to see us soon.<br /><br /><font color="#FF3366">Q: What kind of advantage have you gotten after the international marriage?　 </font><br /><br />The Chinese have a strong sense of fellowship.<br />They have ‘compassion’.He is very kind. <br />He never fail to keep his promises and<br /> he loves and respects me.<br />Though having so many friends, Na-chan is honest<br />and works on everything without hesitation. <br /><br /><font color="#FF3366">Q: Any comment for your husband? </font><br /><br />He is good at cooking so I’d like him to make fine dishes for me.<br /><br /><font color="#FF3366">Q: Give a comment to your wife, please.　 </font><br /><br />I have been with her for a long time, and so much happened.<br /> Sometimes she supported me financially,<br />I appreciate it.Let’s get along together.<br /><br /><font color="#0033cc">They two make a beautiful couple.<br />I hope that they share a long and happy life together. </font> </div>      <!-- international_13 -->        <div class="both20"></div>      </div>    <!-- international_14 -->                          <!-- end of left_box -->    </div>  </div><!-- end of pagebody_outline --><!-- international_14 -->