Coming of Age in Japan: escaping the fate that awaits
Every year, on the second Monday of January, Japan grinds to a halt in order to celebrate thousands of young men and women entering adulthood. Coming of Age Day honours those that have turned 20 - the legal age for consuming alcohol, smoking, gambling and even attending 'hostess bars'! Much has changed since the ritual, initiated by a young prince over a thousand years ago, began. Gone are the days of sword wielding and blackened teeth; the rite of passage