Coming of Age Day

What the day is

Coming of Age Day, known in Japan as Seijin no Hi, is observed on the second Monday in January. It is a national holiday in Japan that honors young people who have reached adulthood, and it is marked with formal ceremonies, family photographs and parties. The date moves each year, falling between January 8 and January 14.

Municipal governments hold the ceremonies, usually in a city hall or a large hall, where local officials give speeches and the new adults receive small gifts. Afterward many people meet old classmates for photos and celebrations.

Origin and background

The tradition has roots in a very old rite of passage. Boys in ancient Japan marked adulthood with a ceremony called genpuku and girls with a similar rite, in which they changed hairstyle and clothing. The modern holiday was established after the Second World War, in 1948, to encourage young people to become self-reliant, and it was originally held on January 15. In 2000 it moved to the second Monday in January under the Happy Monday system, which creates long weekends.

The age of adulthood in Japan was lowered from twenty to eighteen in 2022. Many municipalities have continued to hold the ceremony for those who turn twenty in the year,.

The day is known for clothing. Many young women wear furisode, a formal kimono with long sleeves, along with elaborate hair and a fur or feather stole, while young men often wear dark suits or traditional hakama. Photo studios and kimono rental shops book up months in advance.

How to take part

• Learn about the furisode and the history of Japanese formal dress from a museum or a good book.
• If you are in Japan, look for a ceremony or watch the new adults gather in their kimono near a local hall.
• Mark the day for a young person in your life, with a gift or a note about the adulthood ahead.
• Talk with friends about what coming of age means in different countries, such as the quinceañera, the bar mitzvah or the sweet sixteen.
• Write a letter to your younger self, or to someone about to start adult life.