This year on January 9th all people who are or will turn 20 between the days of April 1st of 2011 and April 1st of 2012 officially become an adult. This is like turning 18 and 21 in the same day for us Americans. As of this year they are, now allowed to smoke, drink, and vote.
The celebration is called Seijin no hi and is held on the second Monday of January. These new adults often go to the local government offices where the ceremonies are held. At these ceremonies speeches and presents are given to the new members of society. It is celebrated with women being dressed up in what is likely the most elaborate kimono, called furisode, they have worn thus far and this hair intricately done up. Men also will wear kimonos and hakama; though more recently modern men's Western-style suits have been preferred ( I wonder if it's warmer?)
Previously in the Edo period the Coming of age ceremony was held for different age groups for men and women: age 15 for men and 13 for women. In the Edo period they would celebrate this day for men by cutting their bangs. Feature in the first picture below, and they will cut it off, or shave it back, to have a samurai styled hair (second picture).
On this day 13 year old Edo period women would in turn dye their teeth black in celebration of adulthood.
It wasn't until 1876 that the government decided to change the age of adulthood to age 20 for both men and women, likely due to the onslaught of westernization.
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