Did you know?: Coming-of-Age Day in Japan

Becoming an adult is an important milestone in most cultures, and in Japan, it is celebrated on Seijin-no-Hi, or Coming-of-Age Day. This day falls on the second Monday of every January. In Japan, age 20 is when someone becomes a legal adult. At age 20, Japanese young men and women can legally vote, drink, smoke and get married without parental consent. They also become subject to the laws and social responsibilities that bind adults. However, running for public office requires a few more years. The minimum age to run for congress or mayor is 25 and it is 30 to run for senate or to be governor.