Today is ³ÉÈˤÎÈÕ (Seijin no Hi, Coming of Age Day) in Japan. Held annually on the second Monday of January, it¡¯s a day to celebrate those who¡¯ve turned ¶þÊ®šr (hatachi, 20 years old), which is considered the age of maturity in Japan.

It¡¯s also a day when young women often wear Çç¤ì×Å (haregi), which means ¡°sunny day wear¡± but can be better translated in English as ¡°your Sunday best.¡± Whatever the term, in Japan your ¡°best¡± is likely a ×ÅÎï (kimono, kimono).

Since ³ÉÈˤÎÈÕ is a day for young people to dress up, the type of ×ÅÎï you¡¯re more likely to see is a ÕñÐä (furisode), which is a long-sleeved kimono that is traditionally worn by unmarried women. Every kimono includes an Ž¡ (obi, belt) that will often be accessorized with Ž¡¾†¤á (obijime, decorative strings used to hold the belts in place), Ž¡Áô¤á (obidome, clips and other trinkets) and Ž¡“P¤² (obiage, scarf-like cloths that can provide an extra pop of color). ??