Coming of Age Day came last Monday with the usual fanfare, gorgeous outfits and sense of time passing. At municipal facilities and shrines across Japan, as well as at theme parks, an estimated 1.21 million people turned 20 years of age. They deserve congratulations on reaching an important milestone in their lives.
What their future holds and how different they are from 20-year-olds in the past, however, is important to consider, especially as the day becomes more casual and commercial. For one thing, this year there were 50,000 fewer than last year. The numbers have been going down each year, but the question remains whether these young people are becoming increasingly adult-like.
This year's celebrations are linked to the change in the voting age from 20 to 18, making the day a little confusing in its purpose. Along with the new 20-year-olds, around 2.4 million people aged 18 and 19 will be eligible to vote in the Upper House election this summer. One of the most important rights in any society will now be given to people before reaching their Coming of Age Day. At 20, young people have the right to smoke and drink.