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Observance guideSource-backed

Coming of Age Day (Seijin no Hi)2026 · Date · History

Cabinet Office, Government of Japan

Moves by calendar ruleReviewed 2026-09-06

About Coming of Age Day (Seijin no Hi)

Coming of Age Day (Seijin no Hi) is a Japanese national holiday observed on the second Monday in January.

Japan’s National Holidays Act defines the day as one for celebrating and encouraging young people who have reached adulthood.

Why Coming of Age Day (Seijin no Hi) matters

The modern public holiday is a legal national holiday; local coming-of-age ceremonies and older adulthood customs are related cultural practices rather than the legal instrument itself.

The legal age of adulthood and local ceremony eligibility can differ from the holiday’s statutory purpose and schedule.

History of Coming of Age Day (Seijin no Hi)

Japan’s 1948 Act on National Holidays included Coming of Age Day among the original national holidays and set it on January 15.

A 1998 amendment changed Coming of Age Day to the second Monday of January, effective from 2000, as part of legislation intended to create longer holiday periods.

The Cabinet Office continues to list Coming of Age Day under the second-Monday rule and publishes the resulting calendar date for each year.

Institutional timeline

How the observance developed

This timeline uses documented milestones from reviewed sources. Missing stages are left out rather than guessed.

  1. Establishment

    National Diet of Japan

    Act on National Holidays (Law No. 178 of 1948)

  2. Date Change

    Changed Coming of Age Day from January 15 to the second Monday in January, effective from 2000.

    National Diet of Japan · Act Partially Amending the Act on National Holidays (Law No. 141 of 1998)

  3. Current stewardship

    Government of Japan / Cabinet Office

    The Cabinet Office maintains current national-holiday guidance and calendars.

Origins & establishment

What the evidence establishes

Evidence & sources ↓

Confirmed institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Details that could not be established from the reviewed sources are listed separately below.

Proclaiming / establishing bodyNational Diet of JapanComing of Age Day was established through national legislation enacted by the Diet.
Original establishing instrument / decisionAct on National Holidays (Law No. 178 of 1948)The 1948 Act included Coming of Age Day among Japan’s national holidays.
Original instrument adoption / decision date20 July 1948The National Diet Library identifies Law No. 178 as promulgated on 20 July 1948.
Current facilitator / coordinatorGovernment of Japan / Cabinet OfficeThe Cabinet Office maintains current national-holiday guidance and calendars.
Former dateJanuary 15Cabinet Office history states that the 1948 law originally set Coming of Age Day on January 15.
Why this exact date?The second-Monday rule was introduced by the 1998 amendment, effective in 2000, to help create longer holiday periods and support more leisure time.Cabinet Office and House of Representatives materials explain the schedule change and its policy purpose.
3 fields not established in reviewed sources
Originator / proposerThe reviewed sources document the legislative enactment but do not support a single individual originator for the holiday.
First observanceThe reviewed sources establish the 1948 law but do not explicitly identify the first actual observance date.
Former nameNo formal former statutory name is established.

Later institutional actions

Later recognition, renaming, mergers or date changes are kept separate from original establishment.

Date ChangeChanged Coming of Age Day from January 15 to the second Monday in January, effective from 2000.National Diet of Japan · Act Partially Amending the Act on National Holidays (Law No. 141 of 1998) · 1998Cabinet Office and House of Representatives records document the amendment and effective schedule change.
Source qualityHigh confidence
4 Primary institutional / legal
View all sources ↓
Names

Also known as

Coming of Age Day

How to Observe Coming of Age Day (Seijin no Hi)

01

Use the second Monday in January for the current recurring date.

02

Describe January 15 as the former statutory date, not the current rule.

03

Keep older coming-of-age rites and local ceremonies distinct from the 1948 national-holiday statute.

04

For year-specific calendars, calculate the second Monday rather than hard-coding a prior year’s date.

Coming of Age Day (Seijin no Hi) Facts

Fact 01

Coming of Age Day was included in Japan’s 1948 National Holidays Act.

Fact 02

Its original statutory date was January 15.

Fact 03

Law No. 141 of 1998 changed the holiday to the second Monday in January from 2000.

Fact 04

The Cabinet Office lists it as a national holiday.

Fact 05

The holiday’s legal schedule is distinct from the details of local coming-of-age ceremonies.

Classification

Topic and context

Community, Causes & Advocacy →
Community, Causes & AdvocacyAppreciation Recognition
Related topic pathsHealth, Wellness & AwarenessCivic, Remembrance & HistoryRelationships & Family
Accuracy notes

What this page does not assume

  • Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
  • Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
  • Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
Evidence

Evidence & sources

Source policy →

Sources used across the guide are gathered here. Labels show how each source supports the page, and contextual references are kept separate from primary evidence.

Questions & connections

Understand it, compare it, then explore further

Start with the most common factual questions, then compare closely related observances and explore useful connections.

Reader questions

Frequently asked questions

When is Coming of Age Day (Seijin no Hi)?

Second Monday in January; 12 January 2026 The documented recurrence rule is: Second Monday in January.

Does Coming of Age Day (Seijin no Hi) fall on the same date every year?

It follows a recurring calendar rule, so the Gregorian date can change from year to year.

Is Coming of Age Day (Seijin no Hi) an official public holiday?

The reviewed sources verify it within this scope: Japanese national holiday. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when reliable evidence explicitly does so.

Who established or recognizes Coming of Age Day (Seijin no Hi)?

The reviewed sources identify National Diet of Japan as the proclaiming or establishing body. Current facilitation or coordination is recorded as Government of Japan / Cabinet Office.

Is Coming of Age Day (Seijin no Hi) international or country-specific?

No single country is assigned to this observance. Its documented scope is: Japanese national holiday. Use that scope rather than assuming worldwide or country-specific status.

How is this page verified?

The factual information is checked against reviewed sources, including the date pattern, scope and institutional history. This page was checked on 2026-09-06.

When is Coming of Age Day in Japan?

It is observed on the second Monday in January.

Was Coming of Age Day always on a Monday?

No. The 1948 law originally set it on January 15; a 1998 amendment moved it to the second Monday in January from 2000.

Is Coming of Age Day a Japanese national holiday?

Yes. It is listed in Japan’s Act on National Holidays.

Did traditional coming-of-age ceremonies create the modern holiday?

No. Older customs provide cultural context, while the modern national holiday was established by postwar legislation.

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