Coming of Age Day in Tokyo – Pictures

Today – Monday, January 11, 2010 – is Coming of Age Day (Seijin no Hi) in Tokyo. That means that walking in Harajuku you’re likely to see quite a few 20-year-old Japanese girls dressed up in furisode Kimono on their way to Meiji Jingu Shrine. Japanese boys and girls both celebrate Coming of Age Day, but it’s mostly the girls who dress up in traditional clothing and prom-like hairdos and wander around town.

The sight of modern young Japanese girls walking around in traditional kimono causes tourists – and even many locals – to smile, stare, and, of course, take millions of photos. We didn’t want to be left out, so we snapped a few quick pictures of Japanese girls on their way to – or from – Meiji Jingu. We only had our compact camera, and it was getting dark, so apologies in advance for the less-than-stellar quality of the images.

Also, we would have had more pictures, but many of the girls we asked about photos politely said “no way!” and took off running in the other direction – as their non-kimono-clad friends broke into hysterical laughter. It’s probably safe to say that many Shibuya and Harajuku girls are not too accustomed to being out in public in traditional Japanese clothing. Still, they all looked too pretty/cute. See for yourselves!

Click any of the photos to enlarge them.