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| People wearing face masks attend a coming-of-age ceremony at Hanazono Rugby Stadium in Higashiosaka, western Japan, on Jan. 11, 2021, amid the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by=Kyodo) |
[Asia News Communication = Reporter Reakkana] Ceremonies to mark the Coming-of-Age Day in Japan were held online or outdoors Monday, with some municipalities canceling the event altogether to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus amid a recent countrywide surge.
The customary indoor event was moved outside in the western city of Higashiosaka, Osaka Prefecture, to the Hanazono Rugby Stadium, as new adults congregated in the stands wearing kimonos and suits. Meanwhile, the city of Saitama near Tokyo streamed an online ceremony, which only included some new adults who assumed membership of its organizing committee. Japan holds nationwide ceremonies on the second Monday of January for those who turned or will turn 20 by the end of the following March in their hometowns. The events often see women wear lavish kimonos to mark the national holiday.
Yokohama, which counts around 37,000 new adults, boasts the largest group of youngsters across all municipalities in Japan. The city held official ceremonies multiple times at two separate venues, with staff disinfecting seats after every occasion. Officials from Shibuya ward in Tokyo, which has deferred a ceremony, were on standby at its venue to notify those unaware of the postponement. Some university students from the event expressed mixed emotions concerning the ceremony, with 19-year-old Raizo Maeda revealing surprise at the large crowds.
