Coming of age is a very special event for young Japanese people. Japanese youth become adults at the age of 20. We celebrate the coming of age day on a large scale here in Japan. There are celebration ceremonies held by cities or towns where the new adults live. There is also a national holiday on the second Monday of January. The holiday is known as “Seijin-no-hi”, which means “Coming of Age Day.” In this article, we will explain Japan's coming of age.
About Coming of Age
The age of becoming an adult is 20 in Japan. Turning 20 has a very special meaning for Japanese people. When people become 20, they are allowed to drink alcohol. In the Japanese community, drinking has a special meaning of “becoming a part of adult society”. The drinking culture is huge here in Japan and many people think it is a good way to get to know each other. The culture has been changing and now we have fewer social gatherings. Young people do not drink much but we still think coming of age is a very special event.
The age to be given the right to vote used to be 20 until 2015. Now it has been changed to the age of 18. There are also more changes when you turn into an adult such as being able to sign contracts without your parents’ permission. Meaning they are now an independent person.
Coming of Age Ceremony
Coming of Age Ceremonies are held on Coming of Age Day in January. The local government will invite new adults to the Coming of Age Ceremony. Most people attend the ceremony in their hometown. So they can get a chance to meet their friends from elementary or middle school. Many people have an alumni party and will drink after the ceremonies.
These ceremonies are usually held in public halls depending on the area. Some ceremonies are held at special places like Disneyland of Urayasu City in Chiba. At the ceremony, the mayor of the city and some representatives of new adults give a speech. Some ceremonies have shows like dance and music but there are not many special events. Many areas give them a little gift for the memory of their coming of age.
Girls Wear a Special Type of Kimono
Then, what is so special about the Coming of Age Day? Girls prepare a special kimono called “Furisode” for the ceremony. Furisode is the most prestigious dress for unmarried women and it has long sleeves and it gives very spectacular impressions.
People would either rent or buy Furisode in preparation for the Coming of Age event. The price of Furisode varies from 100,000 to 150,000 yen for the standard ones. The ones with cool or special designs will usually cost more. Even if you rent it out, it tends to cost almost the same as if you buy a Furisode. A higher class Furisode might cost more than 1 million yen. My furisode was 500,000 yen and my sister and many cousins would share the same garment. Some girls would also wear a Furisode or kimono passed down from their mother or grandmothers.
On the day of the ceremony, the basic routine for new adult girls is to visit a beauty salon and have people specialized in dressing kimonos to help them get into their dress as well as get their make-up done. Most boys wear suits but some would wear hakama which is a type of kimono for men. If you happen to visit Japan on the day of Coming of Age Day, you can see many girls wearing traditional yet glamourous Furisode everywhere.
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