Seijin shiki
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Seijin shiki (成人式) is the Japanese coming-of-age ceremony. It is held annually on Coming-of-Age Day (成人の日 seijin no hi?), the second Monday in January. Festivities include ceremonies held at local and prefectural offices and parties amongst family and friends to celebrate passage into adulthood.
[edit] History
The festival was created as a national holiday in 1948, when Coming-of-Age Day was set to January 15. In 1999, as a result of the Happy Monday System (ハッピーマンデー制度 happii mandei seido?), Coming-of-Age Day – and thus the seijin shiki – was moved to its current date of the second Monday in January.
[edit] Current practice
The age of majority in Japan is 20. The seijin shiki covers all those who will reach this age during the current school year, which runs between April and the following March. The ceremony is generally held in the morning at local city offices and all young adults who maintain residency in the area are invited to attend. Government officials give speeches, and small presents are handed out to the new adults.
Many women celebrate this day by wearing furisode (振袖?), a special kind of kimono. Since most are unable to put on a kimono by themselves due to the intricacies involved in putting one on, many choose to visit a beauty salon to dress and to set their hair. A full set of formal clothing is expensive, so it is usually either inherited or rented rather than being bought specially for the occasion. While men sometimes also wear traditional dress (dark kimono or hakama), most men now wear business suits instead.
After the ceremony, the young adults often gather in groups and go to parties or go out drinking. Young women not used to wearing the zori slippers (草履 zōri?) can often be seen limping as the afternoon wears on and evening approaches. Later in the evening, it is not unusual to see wobbly young adults staggering in the trains, heading home after a day of celebration.
