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coming of age day, japan, current events,

Japan’s Coming of Age Day (成人の日)

Want to see more colorful photos from Coming of Age Day? Search the hashtags #成人の日 and #ComingOfAgeDay.

On the second Monday of every January, Japan observes Coming of Age Day, a holiday meant to commemorate and celebrate young Japanese men and women who turned 20—legal adult age—during the previous year.

While Coming of Age Day was made an official holiday in 1948, similar ceremonies have been held throughout Japan since the early 8th century. Japanese men and women celebrating the occasion often don traditional clothing and attend events at local government offices in the morning before hosting parties and celebrating with friends and family later in the day.

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current events, japan, emperors birthday,

Japan Celebrates Emperor’s 79th Birthday

For more photos from the celebration of Emperor Akihito’s birthday, visit the Imperial Palace location page!

December 23rd marks the birthday of Akihito, the Emperor of Japan. The Emperor’s Birthday (天皇誕生日 in Japanese) is observed throughout Japan, and is one of the rare times that the public is allowed onto the grounds of the Imperial Palace (皇居).

Emperor Akihito, born in 1933, turns 79 today. He became emperor in 1989.

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Aomori Nebuta Festival, japan, current events,

Aomori Nebuta Festival

Want to see more photos? Check out pictures tagged #aomori and #nebuta.

From August 2-7 every year, the streets of Central Aomori, Japan, are filled with colorful lantern floats called nebuta. The floats are built of wooden bases and metal frames, and coated with Japanese paper called washi. They often depict historical figures or kabuki and can take up to a year to complete. Costumed parade participants and dancers join in on the fun.

Anti-Nuclear Protests in Tokyo

current events, photo feature, japan, tokyo, nuclear power, protest,

Want to see more? Check out more photos from the protest tagged at 首相官邸 / 内閣総理大臣官邸 (the Prime Minister’s residence.)

Thousands of protesters gathered in front of the Japanese prime minister’s house on Friday to protest the government’s decision to reopen a nuclear power plant in western Japan.

Protests are uncommon in Japan, but the decision to reactivate the Ohi power station 16 months after the tsunami that caused a meltdown at the Fukushima power plant has set of a series of demonstrations across the country.

The Ohi reactor is scheduled to be reactivated on Sunday.

Tokyo Skytree

current events, japan, tokyo skytree, photo feature,

Today, the Tokyo Skytree (東京スカイツリ) in Sumida, Tokyo, opened to the public. Clocking in at 634 meters or 2,080 feet, the Skytree is the tallest tower and the second largest structure in the world. Over 8,000 visitors took high-speed elevators up to the observation deck today to celebrate. Some waited in line for more than a week to get tickets for the opening.

Note: Towers are self-supporting and meant for regular, but not living access by humans. Continuously habitable skyscrapers and buildings like the Burj Khalifa, the tallest structure in the world, do not qualify as towers.

Spotlight: Japan One Year After Tohoku

events, japanese earthquake, photo feature, spotlight, japan,

A year ago this week Japan was hit by the Tohoku earthquake. It measured at a 9.0 magnitude, the most powerful known earthquake to have ever hit the island nation. The quake triggered a 133 foot tsunami, moved Honshu 8 feet east and shifted the Earth on its axis by estimates of somewhere between 4 and 10 inches.

Over the past year, many of our amazing Japanese Instagram users have captured scenes from all parts of the country — the bustling untouched cities and the rural northern towns close to the epicenter. We wanted to honor the anniversary of Tohoku by highlighting images that offer us a window into what the country looks like now, one year after the earthquake.

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