Twenty looks like this?

Really?! Some of the men looked older than twenty. But who’s counting years?

Two more images from Seiji no Hi celebration, a coming of age in Nakano

Bottoms up! The kidz are super happy as they lurch toward adulthood.

Snow did not stop the stretch Lincolns from delivering yankiis to Nakano’s Sun Plaza

Young men dressed in kimonos celebrate turning 20 at Nakano Sun Plaza’s Seiji No Hi coming of age ceremony. Overheard, 「お大人になちゃった。」Roughly translated, it means, “Oh shit, we’ve become adults.” As usual, the heavily inebriated youth were extremely friendly to the lone foreign lurker. Congratulations, everyone, and good luck!

Hands across silver suited butt

Gallons of make-up, tight suits, & huge hair

Definitely, Coming of Age Day is the happiest day of the year. Winter is never more festive.

These boys are now legal. Coming of Age Day in Nakano

Crack open a beer. Dye your hair rainbow colors. Finally, I am posting photos from this year’s Nakano Sun Plaza’s celebration of the ward’s teenagers becoming adults.

Too cool for school

The mayor of Aso City stuns 20 year olds at Coming of Age Day (Seiji no Hi) by singing and pantomiming a hit from AKB48, the 4 dozen popular faux school girls who are Japan’s most popular band and advertising monster. The mayor’s singing and emoting strike a stern warning to the young things to never become adults. Poor 20 year olds of Aso City! (Source: Neojapanisme)

I had a much better time greeting and mingling with the 20 year olds celebrating today outside Nakano Sun Plaza. The girls were a riot of faux rabbit and pink/orange/red kimonos and complicated updoes. Many of the boys fried their hair and en-bigg-ed it, paired with shiny suits evocative of men’s host clubs and mid-tier salary men and occasionally traditional men’s kimonos, one in shocking pink. More pix soon. Here’s last years’ photos!

I also met a very handsome Korean photographer, and realized I wasn’t the only one who came to gawk!