January 10th was an ideal day for a winter walking tour, with clear skies and crisp but not too cold air. And even though it is the middle of the winter, camellia and plum flowers were in bloom. It seems that throughout the year there are always some flowers in season to welcome the guests to the East Gardens, which is truly incredible.
My team member Asako-san and I wore Kimonos on this day. We were doing it for fun, but as Asako-san was explaining, Kimonos are for special occasions for most Japanese people today – weddings, funerals, tea ceremonies, graduation, etc., and there are various formalities for each occasion.
Actually January 12th was such a special day in that it was “Coming of Age Day”, when young people celebrate their adulthood (traditionally 20 years) and many women wear Kimono. If you came across many young people dressed up in Kimono and were wondering why, that was the reason. Coming of Age Day is a national holiday but things got a little complicated recently because a few years ago they changed the legal age of adulthood from 20 to 18. Young people can now vote when they are 18, but smoking and alcohol is still prohibited until you are 20, and most “Coming of Age” day ceremonies are for 20 year olds.
Looking back when I was 20, things have changed a lot. One of the reasons I like the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace tour is that I get to learn about the history of my country, how we got here and some of the unchanging qualities of our society. It would be great if through our tour our guests are interested in such stories and know more about Japan.
As always, thank you very much for choosing our tour. For those who are planning a trip to Japan, come join one of our tours. We now have a new tour in Yanaka and Nezu, which is another interesting area of Tokyo!
Post by Yohei
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