Glamorous Close-up Shots at Kitakyushu’s Coming-of-Age Ceremony
Once a storm of criticism, now a part of Japanese culture recognized around the world!
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Congratulations to you all!
On January 7, a flamboyant “Coming-of-Age Ceremony” (a ceremony to commemorate 20 years of age) was held in Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture. With Corona moving to Class 5 and the removal of restrictions on admission, more than 8,000 people, nearly triple the number of last year, attended the event. A pair of women dressed in gorgeous wedding kimonos (second photo) were singing in hushed tones.
I’ve saved up for this day with my part-time job. Please take a look! The total cost, including the dressing fee, is one million yen!
This year’s festival was marked by a variety of unique wedding kimonos. A man who works at a fresh fish store wore a hakama decorated with stuffed marlin tuna and eels. Others wore their favorite Kitty dolls or dyed their regents in seven different colors for good luck.
In the past, the ceremony was ridiculed as “the most unsafe coming-of-age ceremony in Japan” because of the drinking and violent acts that were reported, but the number of troublesome acts has been decreasing every year. This year, too, the ceremony went on without major trouble.
But that is not all. Last fall, the “flashy hakama,” which are synonymous with the ceremony, were exhibited at one of the world’s four major fashion shows, the New York Collections. It has become a part of Japanese culture that is recognized around the world. Masashi Ikeda, representative of the kimono retailer Miyabi, which helped spark the trend, says, “In addition to the unique hakama, there are many other styles of hakama.
In addition to the unique hakama, we received many orders for banners with our name on them. We also made rakes for the first time. With so many of these items being carried, the festival was even more spectacular than in previous years.
Kitakyushu’s coming-of-age ceremony became even more gorgeous and unique. The venue was overflowing with the energy of the young people who had reached this milestone.
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From the January 26, 2024 issue of FRIDAY
PHOTO: Hiroto Kato