Young Japanese celebrate Coming of Age Day under COVID’s shadow

Young Japanese celebrate Coming of Age Day under COVID’s shadow

Young Japanese celebrate Coming of Age Day under COVID's shadow

an hour ago

Kimono-clad youth wearing protective face masks leave their Coming of Age Day celebration ceremony at Yokohama Arena Tokyo. Reuters

Gulf Today Report

Young adults dressed to the nines in kimonos gathered at venues in Japan on Monday to mark Japan's Coming of Age Day, even though the city is under a state of emergency.

Young women in colourful traditional costumes, masks and white stoles braved cold weather in lines and sat seats apart from one another in Yokohama to celebrate reaching the age of majority, although many of the usually jubilant events were cancelled over coronavirus fears.

Kimono-clad women leave their Coming of Age Day celebration ceremony at Yokohama Arena, Tokyo. Reuters

More than a million people in Japan turn 20 this year, the age at which they can legally smoke and get married without parental approval.

They are traditionally feted each January on "Coming-of-age day" with a formal ceremony, originally a rite of ancient samurai families.

On the second Monday in January every year, people who have turned or are about to turn 20 take part in ceremonies in local event halls or other large-scale venues to celebrate the rite of passage to adulthood.

Youths including