Coming of Age Day

Two days ago, it was important day for 20 years old. It was Coming of Age Day. It is one of the holidays in Japan. The law about the holiday in Japan says that a person is conscious of becoming a person of full age, and we will celebrate a person who tries to live one’s own life. Every city holds a ceremony for 20 years old. I went to it on January 13^th. It was held at the hall in Kikuchi. Many people gathered there. For example, there was Kikuchi Minami junior high, Kikuchi Kita junior high, Shisui junior high, Hichijyo junior high and Kyokushi junior high school students. I met kindergarten friends, junior high friends and high school friends. Everyone wore formal dress. Girls wore beautiful kimono and boys wore suit. Some boys wore Hakama. Kimono and Hakama are Japanese traditional dresses. I wore black kimono. Coming of Age Day is also a good chance to wear Japanese traditional dress. My high school friend was a chairperson of the ceremony in Kikuchi, so I listened to his speech without sleeping. I took pictures with my friends after the ceremony. I enjoyed it.

By the way, people who become 20 years old are recognized adult in legal in Japan. However, many countries don’t same. In Puerto Rico, becoming 14 years old means adult. I think that it is too fast. In Nepal, becoming 16 years old means adult. In North Korea, becoming 16 years old means adult. In Australia, Netherland, China and so on, becoming 18 years old means adult. In Thailand and New Zealand, becoming 20 years old means adult like Japan. It is very interesting.

I think that becoming adult in legal has good point and bad point. Good point is drinking alcohol and getting money you work. In Japan, people who don’t 20 years old can’t drink sake and can’t buy it. I think that drinking sake means adult. However, drinking sake can be bad point. Sometimes, I heard that person who drunken sake too much died because of car accident or alcohol abuse. It is sad news. I want to try not to drink too much when I drink it. Another good point is getting money you work. In my high school, I couldn’t have a part time job because high school prohibited it. On the other hand, we can have a part time job in university. So, we can make money and we can get car license. I think that working as a part time job is good for our future. We can learn a lot of things there.

Bad point is responsibility of adult. We got the franchise last year. I went to election and voted. We have to think about future of Japan. I became an adult in legal, but I can’t live my own life yet, so I want to live my own life as early as possible, and I want to de good to my parents.

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