Coming of Age
Japanese women in kimonos walk to attend a ceremony celebrating Coming of Age Day in heavy snowfall at Toshimaen amusement park in Tokyo in 2013. This year, Coming of Age Day is Jan. 12. Reuters

City hall ceremonies, shrine visits and wild parties will mark the annual Coming of Age Day on Monday as Japan encourages new adults to join society as responsible individuals. The holiday, which is held each year on the second Monday of January, is all about the adolescents who turned 20 in the past year. In Japan, people can drink, smoke and vote once they turn 20, so after Coming of Age Day they're urged to become self-reliant.

Coming of Age Day traditions reach back to the 700s, when a prince put on new robes and got a new hairstyle to showcase that he had become an adult, Stars and Stripes reported in 2004. Between 1603 and 1868, boys began cutting their hair and wearing swords on their 15th birthdays. On girls' 13th birthdays, they dyed their teeth black, according to China Daily. The age of adulthood was eventually set for both genders at 20 in 1876, and Coming of Age Day became a national holiday in 1948. While still extremely popular in Japan, Coming of Age Day participation has been declining in recent years. Only 1.2 million people turned 20 for the holiday last year, Quartz reported, which is less than half of the 2.46 million who did in 1970.

Here's a quick Coming of Age Day vocabulary lesson:

  • Seijin no hi = Coming of Age Day

  • seijin shiki = adult ceremonies held on the holiday

  • furisode = kimonos with long sleeves worn by women. They cost thousands of dollars, so women often rent them just for the day, like debutante gowns, according to Japan Talk.

  • zori = women's slippers

  • hakama = baggy pants worn by men. Most wear regular business suits, though.

  • izakaya = pubs where friends meet after the ceremonies to drink

So on Seijin no hi, government officials hold seijin shiki where they recognize new adults. Women wear expensive furisodes and zori, and men wear hakama or suits. After a visit to the shrines, they go to izakaya to party with their friends and families. Anyone who turned or turns 20 between April 2, 2014, and April 1, 2015, is invited.

Check out photos of the celebrations:

Coming of Age
Maho Yamaguchi, 20, wears a kimono with origami accessories on her hair as she poses after a ceremony celebrating Coming of Age Day at an amusement park in Tokyo in 2013. Reuters
Japan
Japanese women in kimonos ride a train after a ceremony celebrating Coming of Age Day at an amusement park in Tokyo in 2014. Reuters
2010
Japanese women in kimonos take pictures of themselves as they celebrate the Coming of Age Day at Toshimaen amusement park in Tokyo in 2010. Reuters
Coaster
Japanese women in kimonos ride a roller-coaster as they celebrate their Coming of Age Day at Toshimaen amusement park in Tokyo in 2009. Reuters
Kimono
Japanese women in kimonos attend Coming of Age Day event at an amusement park in Tokyo in 2011. Reuters
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