Coming of Age Day in Japan
January 12 · Level 6 · #949 of 2238
Japan's Coming of Age Day welcomes young people into adult life and recognizes their growing responsibilities within society. It falls on the second Monday in January, so the calendar date shifts each year.
How it is celebrated: local authorities host ceremonies with congratulatory speeches and words of encouragement. Many young women wear long-sleeved furisode kimono, while young men choose suits or traditional outfits with hakama. Reunions with friends and family photographs often follow.
The name furisode means “swinging sleeves.” Those dramatically long sleeves give one of the day's best-known outfits both its distinctive shape and its name.