In Japan, the second Monday of January each year is Coming of Age Day. The nation holds a formal ceremony commemorating those who turned 20 over the past year, to congratulate the transition from childhood to adulthood. The age 20 holds special significance in Japanese culture. Unlike most countries in the world, the official age of adulthood (and subsequently liberation from the need for parental consent) is 20.
Some pictures taken of the Coming of Age ceremony in Funabashi.
This event is more of a formality than a mark of actual change in life situation. The vast majority of Japanese people pursue tertiary studies after graduating from high school, and that takes place around the age of 18. That means that for the vast majority of participants at the Coming of Age ceremony are completing their second year of a four year university degree (six for medicine) - hardly a transition period. Due to such contradictions and subsequent social implications, there has been debate over whether to change the official age of adulthood to 18, like the rest of the world.
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