Today is a national holiday called seijin no hi (成人の日), Coming of Age Day. In Japan becoming 20 years old is considered to be adult who can vote, drink, and smoke.
This holiday was established in 1948 to celebrate and encourage those who became 20 years old. It had been celebrated on January 15 until 1999, but according to "Happy Monday System" seijin no hi has fallen on the second Monday of January since 2000.
This year about 1,330,000 (680,000-men, 650,000-women) new adults are celebrated in all Japan.
There is a ceremony called seijin shiki (成人式) which is held by each municipality. Usually women attend the ceremony wearing beautiful long-sleeved kimono called furisode (振袖) which is extremely expensive, and some men wearing the formal crested kimono called mon tsuki hakama (紋付袴) and others wearing their best suits.
This is the first year that those who are heisei umare (平成生まれ), those who were born in Heisei era became 20 years old.
Congratulations!
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