By MASAKI MATSUMOTO

Every January 15th, there are coming-of-age ceremonies in every Japanese municipality. This year was the same as usual, and many people participated in the ceremony wearing their best clothes. I was the one of them, and attended the Toyoura-chyo coming-of-age ceremony. There were about 50 new coming-of-age people, but about only 30 people attended. It was a very small ceremony, but I thought the ceremony had tension and the new coming-of-age people were united with the guest and the people concerned. However, in the new coming-of-age people the participate did not think about becoming adults and the attendance rate was rather low.

When thinking about the coming-of-age ceremony, there are many questions. First of all, what is the coming-of-age ceremony? The old coming-of-age ceremony was called Genpuku, and families cerebrated children becoming adults, no matter what their age. However, today, the adult age is 20 years-old by law, so everyone becomes an adult even if they do not attend the ceremony. Still, every Japanese municipality holds the ceremony. However, the new coming-of-age people have poor consciousness about becoming adults and this ceremony.

Recently, the purpose of attending the coming-of-age ceremony is to meet old friends, and to enjoy their home. Moreover, many new coming-of-age people who are not interested in the ceremony and do not attend the ceremony is increasing. To draw back these people, one municipality has executed a policy to give money to the new coming-of-age people who attended the ceremony. The attendance rate of that municipality's ceremony is almost 100 percent every year. However, the new coming-of-age people and that municipality lost sight of the meaning of the coming-of-age ceremony.

Why do the new coming-of-age people not realize and have no consciousness of becoming adults? The reason is that they have had the same rights as when they were underage. We can get the right to smoke and drink after becoming 20 years-old. However, underage people can get these things from vending machines very easily, so they do not have anything to look forward to when they become 20 years-old.

To have consciousness about being a real adult for the new coming-of-age people, Japanese municipalities have to think about having better ceremonies if they continue the coming-of-age tradition. For example, they should change the ceremony date and make the ceremony more solemn. However, it will not be meaningful to people who are not excited about or have no consciousness of becoming adults. If the government will not change anything about the ceremony, they should repeal the coming-of-age ceremony, and just have the new coming-of-age people's family celebrate them. Moreover, as a moral problem, the government should solve the vending machine problems and divide clearly underage rights and adult rights.

Before anything else, the new coming-of-age people have to think again deeply about becoming adults. The 21st Century is coming soon. The 21st Century is our time and we have to make a great society from now.