成人の日(Coming-of-age Day)
今週1月8日は、日本の祝日「成人の日」でした。
日本では大人になる年齢（成人年齢）と20歳と定義しています。
「成人の日」は、その年（※）に20歳になる人をお祝いする日です。
（※日本の学校の年度期間に合わせ、原則、「成人の日」の前年の4月から翌年3月までの間に生まれた人が対象となります。）
This past Monday, 8 January was Japan’s Coming-of-age Day.
In Japan, adults come of age at 20 years old.
‘Coming-of-age Day’ celebrates everyone who comes of age during the year*.
(*The year is in line with Japan’s school year, which begins April of the year before the Coming-of-age Day and ends the following March.)
日本では、喫煙・飲酒が法的に認められるは20歳からであり（選挙権は18歳以上）、成人年齢は20歳です。
世界的には、18歳を成人年齢とする国が多く、20歳は遅い部類です。
また、米国では州により成人年齢は異なります。
In Japan, the legal smoking age and drinking age is 20 (voting age is 18), and legal adulthood also begins at 20.
Across the world, many countries set the age of majority at 18, and in this context, Japan’s age of majority, at 20 years old, seems a bit late.
Meanwhile, in the United States, the age of majority sometimes differs by state. (Wikipedia)
成人の日には、日全国各所で「成人式」が行われます。
「成人式」は、地方自治体が成人を招待し、お祝いする式典です。
その会場はホールが一般的ですが、東京ディズニーランドのある千葉県浦安市の成人式は、東京ディズニーランドで開催され、ミッキー、ミニーがお祝いしてくれることで有名です。
成人を祝うイベントを全国一斉に行う国は、世界的に見て珍しい様です。
On Coming-of-age Day, there are ‘Coming-of-age ceremonies’ held in various locations around the country.
The ceremony, held by local self-governing organisations, invite and celebrate these adults who are coming of age.
Most of these ceremonies are held at banquet halls, but there are some famous exceptions: Urayasu, a city in Chiba Prefecture, holds its Coming-of-age ceremony at the nearby Tokyo Disneyland, where Mickey and Minnie are present to celebrate.
From an outside perspective, it is unusual for a country to have a nation-wide celebration for coming of age.
成人式では、殆どの女性は着物（振袖）を着ます。男性はスーツの人が多いですが、一部着物（羽織、袴）の人もいます。
成人式が行われる会場では、多くの振袖姿の女性を見ることが出来、非常に華やかな雰囲気です。
At the Coming-of-age ceremony, most of the women wear a kimono called a furisode. Most men wear suits, but some wear kimonos (such as with haori and hakama).
At the ceremony, with so many people wearing colorful kimonos, it is an incredibly lively and celebratory affair.
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Editorial:
Many cultures have coming of age ceremonies, but as T.M. stated above, it is unusual for coming of age to be held on a national level.
The designation of Coming-of-age Day as a recognised holiday seems to be a relatively recent development -the law was established in 1948- but the intent of the holiday seems equal parts celebration and a recognition of these 20-year-olds to become self-aware of their adulthood. In other words, the holiday serves a secondary social purpose: an event for these young people to recognise their own adulthood, and for other adults to recognize them as equals. By making this event a national, cultural standard, it perhaps operates a little differently from other familial, or local coming-of-age celebrations.
Japanese: T.M.(Japan), English translation & editorial: N.M. (U.S.A)
日本では大人になる年齢（成人年齢）と20歳と定義しています。
「成人の日」は、その年（※）に20歳になる人をお祝いする日です。
（※日本の学校の年度期間に合わせ、原則、「成人の日」の前年の4月から翌年3月までの間に生まれた人が対象となります。）
This past Monday, 8 January was Japan’s Coming-of-age Day.
In Japan, adults come of age at 20 years old.
‘Coming-of-age Day’ celebrates everyone who comes of age during the year*.
(*The year is in line with Japan’s school year, which begins April of the year before the Coming-of-age Day and ends the following March.)
日本では、喫煙・飲酒が法的に認められるは20歳からであり（選挙権は18歳以上）、成人年齢は20歳です。
世界的には、18歳を成人年齢とする国が多く、20歳は遅い部類です。
また、米国では州により成人年齢は異なります。
In Japan, the legal smoking age and drinking age is 20 (voting age is 18), and legal adulthood also begins at 20.
Across the world, many countries set the age of majority at 18, and in this context, Japan’s age of majority, at 20 years old, seems a bit late.
Meanwhile, in the United States, the age of majority sometimes differs by state. (Wikipedia)
成人の日には、日全国各所で「成人式」が行われます。
「成人式」は、地方自治体が成人を招待し、お祝いする式典です。
その会場はホールが一般的ですが、東京ディズニーランドのある千葉県浦安市の成人式は、東京ディズニーランドで開催され、ミッキー、ミニーがお祝いしてくれることで有名です。
成人を祝うイベントを全国一斉に行う国は、世界的に見て珍しい様です。
On Coming-of-age Day, there are ‘Coming-of-age ceremonies’ held in various locations around the country.
The ceremony, held by local self-governing organisations, invite and celebrate these adults who are coming of age.
Most of these ceremonies are held at banquet halls, but there are some famous exceptions: Urayasu, a city in Chiba Prefecture, holds its Coming-of-age ceremony at the nearby Tokyo Disneyland, where Mickey and Minnie are present to celebrate.
From an outside perspective, it is unusual for a country to have a nation-wide celebration for coming of age.
成人式では、殆どの女性は着物（振袖）を着ます。男性はスーツの人が多いですが、一部着物（羽織、袴）の人もいます。
成人式が行われる会場では、多くの振袖姿の女性を見ることが出来、非常に華やかな雰囲気です。
At the Coming-of-age ceremony, most of the women wear a kimono called a furisode. Most men wear suits, but some wear kimonos (such as with haori and hakama).
At the ceremony, with so many people wearing colorful kimonos, it is an incredibly lively and celebratory affair.
--------------------------------------
Editorial:
Many cultures have coming of age ceremonies, but as T.M. stated above, it is unusual for coming of age to be held on a national level.
The designation of Coming-of-age Day as a recognised holiday seems to be a relatively recent development -the law was established in 1948- but the intent of the holiday seems equal parts celebration and a recognition of these 20-year-olds to become self-aware of their adulthood. In other words, the holiday serves a secondary social purpose: an event for these young people to recognise their own adulthood, and for other adults to recognize them as equals. By making this event a national, cultural standard, it perhaps operates a little differently from other familial, or local coming-of-age celebrations.
Japanese: T.M.(Japan), English translation & editorial: N.M. (U.S.A)