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» Japan’s wildest Seijinshiki Coming-of-Age ceremony celebrates new adults in Kitakyushu 【Photos】

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Japan’s wildest Seijinshiki Coming-of-Age ceremony celebrates new adults in Kitakyushu 【Photos】

Oona McGee Jan 15, 2025
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Crazy kimono fashion attracts big fans worldwide.

In Japan, the second Monday of every new year is “Seijin no Hi” (“Coming of Age Day“), a public holiday to celebrate the new adults who have turned, or will turn, 20 by the end of the fiscal year on 31 March. These new legal adults attend “Seijinshiki” (“Coming of Age Ceremonies“) held by their local cities, and while many of them dress in formal suits and kimonos, at Kitakyushu in Fukuoka Prefecture the celebrations are significantly more colourful, with outfits inspired by bosozoku biker gangs and yankee delinquents.

The Kitakyushu event is so unique in its pageantry that we’ve been covering it for eight years, and this year we were back for the ninth time, heading to a different venue than usual — the West Japan General Exhibition Center. After ten years at Kitakyushu Media Dome, the event was moved to this new venue as it’s a short walk from JR Kokura Station, making it more easily accessible.

The weather forecast was for heavy snow, tornadoes, severe gusts of wind, and lightning strikes, but fortunately for everyone involved, it turned out to be nice and sunny in the morning when the ceremony was being held.

▼ It was as if the rain clouds had been blown away by the strength of the new adults.

Although the venue had changed, baggage checks were still being conducted at the entrance gate as a safety measure. Once through the gate, crowds of new adults could be seen living their best lives, happily posing for photos with their friends.

The costumes were as out-there as the chants, with groups from different neighbourhoods bonding in look and vocal calls.

A lot of the gleaming kimonos with faux fur collars looked to be from legendary local store Miyabi, where our own reporter was once fitted out with a gangsta look of his own.

Miyabi’s fashions are so unique they even featured at New York Fashion Week in 2023, gaining support from the local mayor, who praised the store for putting Kitakyushu on the world stage.

One aspect of the proceedings that receives less support from the community is the dressing-up of vehicles driven by some of the new adults, but it’s all part of the celebrations.

While some locals fear the vehicles might lead to reckless driving, there were no reports of accidents or disturbances on the day, proving that although they might look tough, these partygoers are already acting like the adults they are.

So let’s take a look at some of the most impressive outfits of the day, starting with some groups who paired their attire with beautiful fans…

▼ …and banners.

A lot of the costumes were nearly outshone by the ‘dos, with bouffant hair in all colours of the rainbow.

▼ Some attendees chose to shun the kimonos and rock their own unique looks instead.

▼ Other groups banded together for an intriguing blend of East-meets-West attire.

Some fashions stood head-and-shoulders above the rest, becoming our most memorable looks of the day.

The award for biggest fan of the day has to be shared between these two impressive attendees.

▼ And Lotus Boy has to be commended for this angelic design.

While the costumes turned heads as we walked around the site, something else soon became apparent.

Beneath the outlandish looks shone something deeper: friendships. With many of these individuals having grown up together, they were now facing a new chapter in their lives, and this would be a day they would remember forever.

While some friends might choose to stay in their hometowns, others will find themselves moving away for work, making this a special moment for everyone to cherish.

▼ Wherever their paths take them, the future certainly looks bright for this new generation of adults.

So congratulations, new adults! You’ve done your predecessors proud by continuing the city’s proud traditions on Coming of Age Day. We wish you every success for the future — may it be as fun and exciting as your costumes!

Photos © SoraNews24
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[ Read in Japanese ]