Seijinshiki (成人式) is the Japanese word meaning “coming of age ceremony”. They are held annually on the Japanese holiday, the Coming of Age Day which occurs the second Monday every January.

The ceremonies celebrate all who have turned 20 during the year, and serves as a rite of passage to the world of adulthood. They are held at local and prefectural offices. People normally attend ceremonies that are held in their hometowns, so it is also a time of reunion for classmates who may not have seen each other since after graduation.

Women commonly wear a style of the traditional kimono, called furisode, which has extremely long hanging sleeves to the ceremony. While some men still attend wearing the traditional hakama, nowadays it is also common to see men wearing suits and formal Western wear.

Let’s remember the following useful sentences before going to Japan!

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●Kotoshi no seijinshiki wa ikimasuka?
(今年の成人式は行きますか？)
> Are you attending the coming of age ceremony this year?

●Seijinshiki ni kiru fuku wa mou kaimashitaka?
(成人式に着る服はもう買いましたか？)
> Did you already buy your coming of age ceremony outfit?

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Now all that’s left is to go out there and try using them in Japan!


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Kinga Shinnen (謹賀新年) Fun! Japan Words vol.126