Coming of Age Day

Ancient court rites

Japanese maturity rituals date back to at least 714 CE, when a royal prince adopted grown robes and a new hairstyle under Empress Genmei. In the classical Nara and Heian eras, aristocratic youths celebrated a rite called genpuku. Initiates had their childhood locks cut, styled, and covered with formal court headwear by an influential sponsor called a capping parent. Female initiates observed a ceremony known as mogi, putting on pleated skirts, darkening their teeth, removing their eyebrows, and binding their hair up on their heads. Before these rituals, young people were treated as genderless beings belonging to the gods.

Samurai and working customs

With the rise of warrior rule from the late twelfth century, genpuku shifted to reflect military life. Young samurai were presented with helmets, armour, and swords by senior warriors, marking their readiness for battle, family responsibilities, and shrine duties. The age of initiation fluctuated depending on civil peace, shifting from twenty during wartime to early teenage years during prolonged peacetime under the Tokugawa shogunate. By the Muromachi era, the custom extended beyond the nobility and warrior classes into artisan and farming households. For these ordinary families, coming of age acknowledged the entry of youth into regular labour and practical apprenticeships.

Ceremonies today

In modern Japan, the holiday takes place each year on the second Monday of January using the Happy Monday scheduling framework. City halls, ward offices, and prefectural buildings hold gatherings called seijin-shiki. Municipal officials give congratulatory speeches and present small gifts to participants who reached maturity between the second of April the previous year and the first of April of the current year. Many attendees dress in traditional attire, visit local shrines, and take commemorative photographs. After the formal civic proceedings conclude, new adults typically attend private get-togethers, dinner parties, and reunions with classmates and family.

Changing legal age

Japan historically recognized adulthood at age twenty, the traditional benchmark commemorated on this day. In 2018, the national legislature passed a law lowering the legal age of maturity to eighteen, which took effect in 2022. This reform granted eighteen-year-olds the right to marry without parental consent, sign legal contracts independently, and cast ballots in elections. However, other legal thresholds remain separate from the new age of majority. For instance, laws governing alcohol consumption and tobacco use still require individuals to reach twenty years of age, while motorcycle licences can be obtained at sixteen.

How Coming of Age Day is kept

Young people who turn of age during the designated municipal year attend official ceremonies arranged by their local town or prefectural administrations. Dignitaries deliver formal greetings, remind the attendees of their civic duties, and offer congratulations. Participants often dress up for the occasion, visit shrines, and take group photos. After the official gathering ends, new adults continue celebrating informally by joining family dinners or attending reunion parties with former classmates.

When and where

The holiday is observed annually on the second Monday of January under Japan's Happy Monday calendar scheduling. It honours all citizens reaching maturity within a twelve-month cycle running from the second of April of the previous year to the first of April of the current year.

The observance is held throughout Japan. Official gatherings take place at municipal halls, community centres, and prefectural offices across the country, with participants also visiting nearby shrines or holding gatherings in local venues.

What Coming of Age Day means

The day marks an essential threshold between childhood dependence and adult citizenship. It reminds young people of their newfound social responsibilities, autonomy, and civic rights. Rooted in ancient transition rituals like genpuku and mogi, it affirms the individual's readiness to participate fully in public and community life.

Days Coming of Age Day is marked

Coming of Age Day dates: 2026, 2027, 2028

Questions people ask about Coming of Age Day

See also

Shichi-Go-SanA Japanese festival celebrating the growth of three-year-old girls, five-year-old boys, and seven-year-old girls.RussefeiringA spring graduation rite of passage for Norwegian secondary school studentsWalkaboutA rite of passage involving travel through the Australian landscape to learn ancestral lore.HalloweenAn annual observance on 31 October marking the eve of All Saints' Day, rooted in Christian tradition and Celtic heritage

Good reading and sources

• Credit cards, but no sake: Japan lowers age of adulthood from 20 to 18The Guardian, Article
• Credit cards, but no sake: Japan lowers age of adulthood from 20 to 18The Guardian, Article

• Coming of Age Day on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
• Wikidata recordOpen data

It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-04.