[January 2018]
27-Coming of Age Day – A Year of Local Governments in Japan

Coming of Age Day is a Japanese holiday celebrated on the second Monday of January each year to congratulate people who turn twenty years old in the current financial year.

Twenty is the age of maturity in Japan as legislated in civil law. Although the voting age was lowered to eighteen from twenty in 2016, other adult activities such as drinking and gambling can only be done once one turns twenty.

Local governments hold celebratory ceremonies for the newly recognized adults on Coming of Age Day. However, as many young adults attend university in city centres, rural local governments hold these ceremonies around New Year’s Day or in mid-August during the summer holidays. The ceremonies held by local governments tend to become a reunion for most young adults as they are reconnected with their childhood friends who would’ve grown up and went to school in the same local government area.

Many women wear kimono to these ceremonies, especially the furisode which has wide sleeves and extravagant embroidery. This beautiful traditional attire is a common sight in many Japanese towns during Coming of Age Day.

 

Katsunori Kamibo

Director

 

 

 

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  • To investigate environmental countermeasures, a student and her chaperone from Hikone Technological High School of Shiga Prefecture visited Australia from late July to early August. CLAIR Sydney conducted a briefing on 29 July about Australia’s culture and customs, and accompanied the group to a company visit in Brisbane on 31 July, where the company, known for producing products using a type of seaweed called Asparagopsis, shared insights into their research and production processes.

    During the visit, they received information on efforts to reduce methane emissions from livestock using Asparagopsis, viewed from a carbon-neutral perspective. The student’s proactive participation in the meetings, driven by a desire to engage in environmental initiatives in the future, was impressive.

    In addition to the briefing and accompaniment, we also reached out to the company to request a representative to discuss their Asparagopsis research. CLAIR Sydney will continue to support the activities of Japanese local governments conducting research on topics related to Australia.

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