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Coming of age

30 Comments

Young Japanese women, who turned 20 over the past year, dance with Mickey and Minnie Mouse, and Pluto on stage during a coming-of-age ceremony at Tokyo Disneyland in Urayasu, near Tokyo, on Monday. More than 1,200 new adults came to the theme park.

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30 Comments
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Not a fan of the Disney characters but I do love the kimono.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

So to all the haters, I have this question: If they're supposed to be celebrating turning 20, why is it so awful that they appear to be enjoying themselves up on stage? Oh wait. I forgot. Enjoying yourself in public is not the "Japanese Way". Shitsurei shimasu.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Grow up and act your age - is all I can think of...

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Stephen Jez: I think the problem was your implication that living with one's parents is a sign of immaturity. As you know and stated, it's part of the culture here and part of the whole amae thing, not viewed as bad or immature. So you getting mad at SolarSalis for disagreeing with you is a bit ironic when you basically slagged off a whole culture for something you disagree with. Personally, living with my parents or in-laws isn't something I'd choose either unless I were in utterly dire straights. I love them all but would rather make my own way. That's me and that's my culture. I'm not going to slag off others for doing differently unless they are truly parasites. If everyone is happy and no one's being hurt why not?

According to the Guardian, living with the parents is an increasing practice in Britain as well. In the past, British children have tended to leave home earlier than their European cousins but the latest ONS figures, published today, show that 25% of men aged 25 to 29 now live with their parents. This is almost double the proportion of women in their late 20s (13%) who still live at home.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I know that JP families tend to live in one house, my in-laws do it, but it's not for me. Living in the same household is one thing, I can understand living with the parents until you get on your feet. But I've known countless young Japanese who still get assistance (most monetary) from mom and dad. For example, paying their adult child's rent or car loan. I would be insulted and embarrassed if my parents were still paying for those things at my age. At least once a year I have to turn down the offer decent sums of money from the wife's parents, that money would be better spent on themselves.

Then there is the whole "let's build a new level on mom and dad's house and live there" thing that the Japanese (in Okinawa at least) like to do. Once again, nice gesture, but no thanks and not for me.

You know what else is immature? When you throw your opinion around as if it's somehow more valid then someone else's opinion with a demeaning tone. A truly mature person would have just agreed to disagree.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Stephen Jez, for thousands of years whole families lived in one house. Now suddenly it is immature to do so?

I will tell you some things that are immature: 1) throwing tons of money down the drain to keep up appearances of being mature. 2) Declaring others to be immature for dancing with Mickey Mouse at a celebration, because it has, once again, something to do with appearances of maturity.

Truly mature people are not so concerned about mere appearances!

0 ( +1 / -1 )

You are apparently unfamiliar with Japan.

For sure, because even though they're not considered adults, most of them will probably end up living with/off otosan and okasan until they're in their 30s.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

they're dancing with mickey and minnie and are how old???

You are apparently unfamiliar with Japan.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Nothing says you're an adult like dancing with Disney cartoon characters! Oh well, it's better then them getting wasted and driving around in the old school Mark IIs like they do in Okinawa.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

well being juvenile is 100% MIJ, omedetou!.............................. not

0 ( +0 / -0 )

LoveNot and Midoritori: I don't know about dancing with the mouse but I think the kimonos are beautiful, especially the red one on the far left. They're young women, their kimonos or furisode, are supposed to be colorful and bright. Save the austere, somber kimonos for when they're older. I get so tired of seeing people wearing black and muted colors. I look forward to Coming of Age Day when I know there'll at least be some flashes of color about.

You might want to calm down a little. Life changes, culture changes. There's no need to get so worked up about Mickey or the Colonel being involved in the celebration. They're part of Japanese culture now too. In your minds is it the foreignness that makes Mickey and the Colonel crass? Would it be less crass if they were with Hello Kitty or Kamen Rider? In all likelihood, the kimono has its origins in China or Korea so that's an import that's become part of the culture too, just like so many things, along with tea ceremony, kanji and Buddhism. Would you rather they wore clothing made of rice husks and drank muddy water? What is any culture but for what it gets and changes from other cultures?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

this photo is japan in a nutshell .

4 ( +5 / -1 )

成人式 is a wonderful Japanese tradition going back to 7th century. Why let it be exploited by the crass commercialism of a foreign enterprise like Disneyland? Where does it end? Celebrating the ceremony at McDonald's or KFC. Totally disheartening.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

The featured kimonos are lacking in taste.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

This picture is so disturbing. The girls look drunk. Japanese traditions are so beautiful, why sell themselves to American pop culture. Visit some historical or cultural place, leave Micky to the kids.

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

This all seems goofy.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

From the looks of this photo & some of the crap I saw on TV me thinks they need to bump the coming of age in Japan to 35 or 40yrs of age, how bloody juvinile!

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

I saw very few today too - and was also out at temples and shrines.

I find it pathetic that 20 year olds want to spend 'their" day with Disney characters. Japan really needs to get a grip when it goes to maturity.

-5 ( +3 / -9 )

how adult - dancing with mikey.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Kawaii (cute) ! Japanese people will agree 100% that...it's "'Kawaii !"

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Oh the irony! Hahahaha!

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Why do you come of age while dancing with children's characters?

1 ( +4 / -3 )

From the photo, so who's now legal and who's not?

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

Boy, I wish we had this back in California, hot young Japanese girls in their kimonos at our local Disneyland! Mickey Mouse is also so cho kawaii!

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

Interesting. In Japan, people coming of age dance with Mickey Mouse. In the USA, they turn away from him. I've always felt that keeping the inner child alive is an aid to longevity.

5 ( +7 / -3 )

if only I had had the chance to dance with mickey and minne when I legally became an adult ..... I am sure my life would have been completely different

4 ( +6 / -2 )

This is a yearly event for people from the Urayasu area. Usually the ceremony is held in a public hall but the event for people living in Urayasu takes place in Disneyland, which is just next door.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

they're dancing with mickey and minnie and are how old???

-2 ( +9 / -12 )

who's the dude on the far right?

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

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