“SEIJIN-no- hi,” or Coming of Age Day, is a national Japanese holiday held on the second Monday of January to honor young adults who turned 20 years old in the past year. It is a way of welcoming them into society and is an essential rite of passage for the Japanese people. This symbolic moment of transitioning from childhood to adulthood marks the point at which the journey to become an honorable members of society begins.
On SEIJIN-no-hi, the Coming of Age ceremonies, SEIJIN-shiki, take place across Japan in city halls and other official centers. Customarily, people return to their hometowns for this celebration, the young women dressed in a gorgeous kimono called furisode for the ceremony and young men wearing hakama, the traditional men’s kimono.
It is an opportunity for the SEIJIN, the newly recognized adults, to receive encouraging advice for the next chapter of their lives as newly gained freedom and responsibilities are celebrated in the company of family members and old friends. This moment is one that people remember for the rest of their lives. It is a memory that we all look back on fondly.
JIA Foundation has brought this tradition to the USA.
Our version of SEIJIN-shiki, the US-Japan Friendship Coming of Age Celebration, inaugurated in 2020 with more than 130 new SEIJIN in attendance.
Our SEIJIN-shiki is held in English and welcomes not only Japanese people but anyone who has an affinity for Japanese culture. It is an opportunity for Japanese culture to be shared, and for friendships to be built amongst multi-national attendees.
A new tradition was born.
Our SEIJIN-shiki, the US-Japan Friendship Coming of Age Celebration, will celebrate new SEIJIN’s journey into adulthood every year.
