Monday, January 14, 2002
In Japan, the year you turn twenty marks the passage from youth to adulthood. Traditionally (rather since 1948 when it was instituted) it is a day for dressing up and going to your shrine to be presented as an adult. It is also a day for getting roaring drunk with your friends legally for the first time. The last trains are littered with drunken and sick revelers.
Most men wear modern suits. But women dress in in long-sleeved (furisode) kimono. The furisode can cost as much as a new car, and many young women now rent them. They also must go to a professional dresser who will help them put the kimono on and get their hair done.
Akamine-sensei's sister told me that when she came of age, she asked her parents to buy her an RX-7 rather than spend the money on a furisode. And they did.
According to the Japanese-English Dictionary for Conversation about Japan, many women use the photograph taken in their seijin no hi finery for negotiating their arranged marriages.
In the year 2000, the day that seijin no hi is celebrated was changed from January 15th to the second Monday in January.
More Info
Things Asian (Frank Lev)
BBC
Kids Web Japan
Trends in Japan
Posted by M Sinclair Stevens
January 13, 2003
Comments
Nice report.
Comment by: Bea. Posted November 28, 2002 11:01 PM.
Well, since I have to work tonight and will be coming home on a train full of drunk "new adults", the holiday is lost on me :)
Comment by: Kurt. Posted January 12, 2003 11:19 PM.
so did you really end up seeing a whole lot of drunk 20 year olds? that musta been quite the sight. i was in japan on seijin no hi this year but i only saw girls running around in kimonos. they looked so pretty.
Comment by: Summer. Posted February 8, 2004 06:56 PM.
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Coming of Age Day celebrated at Usa shrine in Oita-ken. January, 1990.