Photo/Illutration Sporting golden artificial roses draped across his shoulders, a father brings his 1-month-old daughter to Kita-Kyushu city’s commemoration ceremony for 20-year-olds on Jan. 8. (Jun Kaneko)

KITA-KYUSHU--Young people in this northern Fukuoka Prefecture city are known for celebrating their Coming-of-Age ceremony in flashy style that is distinctively different from the rest of the country.

In short, those reaching adulthood in this part of Japan are determined to pull out all the stops, and, as they say, take no prisoners.

Ryoga Kuwano spent 600,000 yen ($4,540) that drained his savings on an outfit that was sure to make him stand out, regardless of the dreadlocks he rocked.

Kuwano arrived at the ceremony in a hakama, a formal men’s divided skirt, with a leopard-print pattern and a rainbow-colored ruffle boa around his neck.

“This is an occasion to make a once-in-a-lifetime memory,” said Kuwano, who works in the construction industry. “I have worked hard for this day since I was a teenager and saved up the money so I could rent this costume.”

Kuwano was among 3,100 or so “new adults” who attended the city’s official Coming-of-Age ceremony held Jan. 8.

In April 2022, Japan lowered the age of adulthood from 20 to 18, and this year’s Coming-of-Age celebration was the first to be held under the new system.

Kita-Kyushu decided to throw the ceremony for 20-years-olds anyway.

However, officials changed the name from Coming-of-Age ceremony to commemoration ceremony for 20-year-olds.

Kuwano vowed to “become an adult who treats myself right and is also able to control myself.”

“But for today, I will thoroughly enjoy myself,” he said.

Riku Onitsuka, 20, turned up in a white hakama, with draping gold-colored large-flowered artificial roses on his shoulders.

But the best accessory was his 1-month-old daughter, whom he brought to the ceremony.

Onitsuka, who also works in the construction industry, said, “Today has been the proudest moment of my life.”

“From here on, I will get serious and try my best for my daughter,” he said, smiling as he comforted the infant.

Clerical worker Airi Tanoguchi, 20, came with her friend Maho Taguchi, 20, who is a vocational school student.

Both wore long-sleeved kimono profusely decorated with Swarovski accessories.

They said they had prepared the look since they were in the third year of high school.

“We want to become adults who plan our goals daily to meet our goals,” they chanted in chorus.

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