Japan's Coming of Age Day

[mawande]

So, according to a site I read:
Second Monday in January (date varies) - Seijin no Hi - Coming-of-Age Day

Honors young people who will turn 20 years old any time between 2 April of the previous year and 1 April of the current year.

Assuming this is accurate, my son's will be January 14th, 2008. He turns twenty on April 1st. Or is that between not inclusive? It would be odd if it wasn't, hahah.

WHAT AM I, AS HIS PARENT, supposed to do?

[mikem]

WHAT AM I, AS HIS PARENT, supposed to do?

Escort him to the shrine in a suit. Take pictures.

Then send him off to get shit-faced with his friends.

That's the explanation I was given more than once.

[andrewt]

Or is that between not inclusive? It would be odd if it wasn't, hahah.

That would be funny. the fools born on april 1st get the shaft eh ;)

[ミュー]

Once I read on some dumb tour guide thingo that said it was when 'Japanese youths enjoyed their first tastes of adulthood, and many partaked in their first alcoholic beverage'. What a load of shit! Japanese folk are only halfway grown by 30 and are drinkin' by 15 unless they're total shut-ins!!

I think there should be feats of strength and mandatory circumcision, but that's just me :P

[mawande]

*grin* Yes, my son learned from his Japanese friends why not to drink. I don't know how much longer that will last, though. He may eventually start. Or he may never start. Or he may already be drinking and hiding it very well.

[erbiumfiber]

Get him tickets to Disneyland. Big coming of age stuff happens there (or maybe it just fills up with 20-year-olds).

There are also ceremonies in some towns/cities/prefectures which are like opening of school ceremonies with plenty of boring speeches. They showed one on TV where some of the kids started acting up and interrupted the boredom. Shocking!

[Azrael]

Assuming this is accurate, my son's will be January 14th, 2008.
Your son's lucky. That's only the most awesome day out of the whole year.

[Masa the Masta]

Either Az is being awfully generous, or I'm missing something out on that date.

[Disney's doug89]

Why is that Azrael?

[Sodium]

January 14th is his birthday, guys.

[Pierrot le Fou]

January 14th is the day he first tasted the flesh of another human. As a result, he celebrates it with an orgy of cannibalism every year.

He likes the taste of 20 year-olds.

Just hand the kid a bottle of shochu, a box of condoms, make sure he's dressed nice, and tell him he can't come home until he's used up his presents.

[japanat]

Ah, Coming of Age Day - the day when 20-yr-old young ladies get all dressed up and over-make-upped (new verb!), go to a boring ceremony, head to an only slightly less boring party with friends, then take the nearest 20yo guy to a love hotel and raise their kimonos.

Seriously, if they don't get laid on that day, they're considered pretty much hopeless; so do like PLF says and hand him a dozen rubbers and tell him to "Burn, Baby, Burn!"

Other than that, the parent does nothing other than hand over some cash to the child on his/her way out the door...