Coming-of-Age Day in Japan

The annual Coming-of-Age festival (Seijin-no-hi) is celebrated on the second Monday of January. It is held in order to congratulate all those who have reached the age of majority over the past year, and to help them realize that they have now become adults. Urayasu, Japan. 11/01/2010.

The annual Coming-of-Age festival (Seijin-no-hi) is celebrated on the second Monday of January. It is held in order to congratulate all those who have reached the age of majority (20 years old) over the past year, and to help them realize that they have become adults. Twenty is the minimum legal age for voting, drinking, and smoking. Festivities include ceremonies as well as after-parties amongst family and friends. According to the International Affairs and Communications Ministry, around 1.27 million people turned 20 years old in 2009, slipping below 1.3 million for the first time since 1968, when the survey started.