These new adults add to their youth sayonara, colourful hair and gangsta costumes.
Japan’s first public holiday after New Years holiday period falls on second Monday of Jan and is dedicated to young people turning 20, traditional official age of adulthood.
No one – from anywhere to the country enjoys a day off on Seijin no Hi as the public holiday is called. They all have their own group of young people who often play if they turn 20 within their time frame or will turn 20 in April – but there’s no stopping there.
Noone does it, but it’s pretty all year long like new family from Kitakysuhu, who have become famous for their offshore costumes that seems to get wilder and more vibrant.
Kitakuyushu is the cool no-longer-kids’ kind of look.
Getting excited into the gangsta looks, it is a fun way for these new adults to savor many of them in the area. Its also a good way for them to let their hair down and express themselves one last time before heading to the fine world of work, which can sometimes take them to big cities and away from childhood homes.
But for many, this is the last hurrah before leaving workplaces with correct dress codes.
This year was the 20th anniversary of Kitakyushus seijinshiki (coming of age) celebrations, a particularly special year for those who enjoy this year. The details, costumes, hair and accessories blew us away from theKitakyushu Media Dome, where the ceremony was held on 8 January.
So lets look at some of Japan’s new faces, starting with the attendees who kept things simple in classic 3-piece suits with a gangsta edge.
Lots of attendees added fans to outfits with their name, hometown. The look like accessories as fans is great to add some sense of nostalgia to commemorative photos with friends and acts as a reminder of the day for years to come.
Even those who posed alone for photos had been eager to showcase their creativity with unique outfits.
Some wore traditional kimono, hakama outfits, on high heels and extravagant coats for others – whether the outfits, look at extremes.
These gents look like a scapegoat of Japanese kaka de kaze o kiru (literally cut the wind with your shoulders) which abrasively makes for people with such a swaggers its as if their shoulders slice through the wind.
Mass as the shoulders were the pompadours on display.
Many groups rallied in emblazoned banners containing name of their city while some attendees held personal folding fans.
Banners soar a lot on day for those with very different looks.
Some of the handheld banners, like those above, were easily displayed by individuals, others were so big they needed more than one person to fly them.
Others decide to lay them on the ground for more visual impact.
Extra points to these guys for their amazing shoulder adornments.
Why not add a megaphone to your getup when pompadour, fur coat, banner and shoulder decoration isnt enough to stand out?
Big hakama men were proud of their colourful charm with lots of gorgeous kimonos at hand.
Some attendees added bells to parasols while some included bells
Others made entrance at rickshaw
Some, including others, were missing the dress code memo.
Other highlights included the apparent presence of local YouTuber Ban Nakamura whos participated inmixed martial arts bouts.
Nakamura introduced young locals to Nakamura to celebrate by inviting them to pact with him.
While a lot of Seijinishiki ceremony is much more staid and formal than in Kitakyushu, those down here also have more fun to go out with, with wild costumes and gangsta looks becoming an annual rite of passage.
So as for 2020, 2021, 2022 ceremonies, this year seijinshiki was one to remember. Heres hoping for the future for these new adults as bright and glamorous as their costumes; which can, in case youre wondering, be rented from other outlandish seijinshiki outfit stores in Kitakyushu.
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