Coming of Age Day · Worksheet 1
A Day for New Adults
Read the story. 英文を読もう。
1On the second Monday of January, young people in bright kimono fill the streets of Japan. It is Coming of Age Day, or Seijin no Hi. On this national holiday, towns hold ceremonies for young people who are becoming adults.
2The idea started in 1946, just one year after the war. Japan was poor, and many young people felt lost. In a small town called Warabi, near Tokyo, a local youth group held a festival to give them hope. Life was still hard, and men wore plain wartime clothes while women wore work pants. The idea spread across the country, and in 1948 Japan made it a national holiday.
3At first, the holiday was always on January 15. Some people say this date was chosen because of genpuku, an old ceremony for boys. In 2000, the holiday moved to the second Monday of January. Now people can enjoy a three-day weekend.
4Many women wear furisode, a kimono with very long sleeves. Many men wear suits, and some wear hakama, a traditional kimono skirt. After the ceremony, old classmates meet again, take photos, and talk for hours. For many people, it feels like a big class reunion.
5In 2022, the legal adult age in Japan changed from 20 to 18. But many towns still invite 20-year-olds, because most 18-year-olds are busy with exams. Some towns now call the event a gathering for twenty-year-olds. And one rule did not change at all. In Japan, you still have to wait until 20 for your first glass of sake.
- adult 大人
- ceremony 式、儀式
- come of age 大人になる、成年に達する
- national holiday 国民の祝日
- sleeve 袖
- traditional 伝統的な
- invite 招待する
- legal 法律上の、合法の
- classmate 同級生
- hope 希望
- spread 広まる
- celebrate 祝う