Happy New Year to all!
In Japan, one of the few days a full-time worker will get time off is New Years. People who have moved away from home for work take this time to go back to their family homes to spend December 31 to January 4 with their families. This year, because of covid-19, many people were not able to do this out of respect for their families’ well being.
Right on the heels of the New Year's celebrations comes another federal holiday falling on the second Monday of January: Seijin no Hi (成人の日), or Coming of Age Day.
In the US, when you turn 18, you are a legal adult, but must wait 3 years to legally consume alcohol. In Japan, there is only one age, 20. However, though the federal holiday is January 11, it doesn’t mean that the 20 year olds throughout Japan celebrate the same day. Each area wants the largest number of attendees as possible, so the day can differ depending on the area. For example, Niigata, near the Japan Sea, or Akita, in the north. These regions have uncooperative weather in January, so they hold their ceremonies in March and August, respectively.
On the day, everyone who turned 20 the year before gets dressed up and goes out to celebrate - unfortunately, those turning 20 after the ceremony, must wait until after their birthday to celebrate with alcohol in public. On that note, August in Akita must be one big party month with the 20 year olds and festival goers abound!
And what do many wear to their coming of age ceremony? There is not one answer to that. While for women, furisode kimono (振り袖) are viewed as intrinsic to the ceremony, in reality there is nothing that must be worn as long as it is formal clothing. However, because this is a special day, most mark the occasion by dressing up and doing a photoshoot in furisode. On the other hand, men commonly wear navy or black suits that were most likely purchased with their future job search in mind.
Understanding a furisode as a very formal kimono, it is natural to assume that men would dress in a similar fashion. And some people do! When men dress up in formal kimono it is a set of kimono, haori (羽織) jacket, and pleated hakama (袴) pants.
Families in areas that are deeper in tradition usually have a kimono that has been worn and passed on for this special occasion. But if for some reason it is not suitable for the next designated generation, a kimono set can be purchased or rented for the celebration.
If you or a loved one is coming of age this year, why not celebrate in the Japanese fashion with a photo shoot by Kimono House! There are some examples of ensembles on our site, thekimonohouse.com and free consultations are available by phone and email.