Known as
Seijin-no-hi in Japan, this national holiday is especially for the young people who attain the age of majority in that year. A special ceremony,
Seijin Shiki, is held in towns and cities across the nation, giving the boys a chance to sport new suits and the girls to turn out in beautiful
kimono. It will be the turn of my daughter, Aya-Louise, to become 20 on January 16th, so exactly one week before we trooped down to the Wing Stadium in Kobe to join the horde of new
seijin who were assembled there...
As for the ceremony--I've seen better organised riots--but the young 'uns were having a whale of a time, despite the bitter cold and a specially organised right-wing Japan National Front
uyoku rally blaring out barbarous dissonance outside. Eee aa doan't knoaa...
