Coming Of Age Day, or Seijin no Hi is celebrated on the second Monday of January in Japan. It is a special ceremony for men and women who turn 20, to officially welcome them into adulthood. It is marked by visits to Shinto shrines, and speeches given by public officials.

Traditonally, the men wear suits. The women wear elaborate furisode kimonos, which are quite expensive. Some girls ask their families to buy them a new car, instead of a kimono, because the price is pretty much the same! Many young women rent them instead of buying them.

I recently heard from a family that I know in Japan. Their eldest turned 20 in October, so she can celebrate Seijin no Hi this coming January. Because of other events, they put off getting together the preparations until now. Her father is a kimono dealer, so he went to an auction to get a furisode for her. They had discussed what designs she wanted and at the auction, he found the perfect furisode, but he was outbid! Fortunately, the winning bidder was very kind, and sold the kimono to him for only a small profit.

Young women go to professional hairdressers and kimono dressers to get ready for the big day. The appointments are booked very far in advance, and she will have to go to her appointment at 4 in the morning! Her younger sister is teasing her, wondering if she can bear to stay dressed up that long. I know that she will look beautiful!

As with many things in Japan, the observance of this traditional custom is falling by the wayside. Many young people go to the ceremonies to see their friends and are not terribly interested in listening to the speeches of the public officials, which makes some in the older generation upset. You can read the thoughts of some Japanese on the holiday here: Japan Today

Here is a shot of some lovely young ladies showing off their furisode: Eyes of a Traveler