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Photos: Japan’s ‘Coming of Age Day’ brings thousands out in colourful kimonos
Japanese 20-year-olds took the streets in colourful kimonos and suits, celebrating their official passing into adulthood on Coming of Age Day. Ceremonies reminded these young adults of their responsibilities towards society and welcomed them with the perks of being able to drive, drink, gamble and smoke legally.
Updated on: Jan 09, 2018 12:50 PM IST
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Japanese women attend their Coming of Age Day celebration ceremony at an amusement park in Tokyo, Japan on January 8, 2018. Dazzling in colourful kimonos and wafting clouds of hairspray in their wake, thousands of young Japanese women marked their entry into official adulthood. (Kim Kyung-Hoon / REUTERS)
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Formal “Coming of Age” ceremonies or Seijin no Hi, began as a rite among ancient samurai families and are held across Japan on the second Monday of January for its 20-year-olds, reminding them of their responsibilities having turned old enough to legally drive, drink, gamble and smoke. The age of voting was lowered to 18 in 2015. (Kim Kyung-Hoon / REUTERS)
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Japanese women heading to the day’s celebrations ride an escalator at a subway station. Coming of Age Day includes those who turned 20 the previous year or will do so before March 31. The elaborate clothing and made-up participants draw spectators and news crews every year. (Kim Kyung-Hoon / REUTERS)
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Nearly all young women wear elaborate kimonos or furisode, a long-sleeved kimono for unmarried young women, on this day. Kimono rentals also exist specific to this occasion since the actual cost of such attire can run into thousands of dollars. (Kim Kyung-Hoon / REUTERS)
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The men usually wear either Western-style attire with jewellery or a traditional men’s kimono with hakama. Some opt for the kind of plain business suits they will wear as “salarymen” in the future. (Kim Kyung-Hoon / REUTERS)
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A participant poses for a photo following a Coming of Age ceremony at Toshimaen amusement park in Tokyo. Ceremonies on this national holiday are held at city halls and large centres in smaller towns while bigger cities like Tokyo have multiple ceremonies spread out. (Shizuo Kambayashi / AP)
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City officials or major public figures take to the stage to welcome these young adults and remind them of their responsibilities and perks. Such ceremonies also pack in music and dance performances. (Shizuo Kambayashi / AP)
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Women ride a train after attending their Coming of Age Day ceremony. It is also customary for participants to visit the local shrine with family members and pray for happiness and success in their lives ahead. (Kim Kyung-Hoon / REUTERS)
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Revellers pose in kimonos as they attend their Coming of Age Day celebrations. The ceremonies eventually lead into more informal celebrations with photoshoots, heading out with friends to restaurants, amusement parks and bars for legal drinking. (Kim Kyung-Hoon / REUTERS)
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Women ride a merry-go-round during Coming of Age Day celebrations. There were an estimated 1.23 million new adults as of January 1 -- largely unchanged from the previous year, and half the 1970 peak of 2.46 million, according to government figures. (Kim Kyung-Hoon / REUTERS)
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