celebrate Japan's Coming of Age Day at Tokyo's Meiji Shrine

Twenty-year-old female tour guides dressed in traditional kimonos arrive for a purification ceremony with a Shinto priest to celebrate Japan's Coming of Age Day at Tokyo's Meiji Shrine on January 6, 2012. Since tour guides will be busy working on Japan's national holiday Coming-of-Age Day on January 9, the company held a ceremony for them ahead of time. Young people turning 20 are officially recognised as adults in Japan.

Twenty-year-old female tour guides dressed in traditional kimonos pose for photo after a purification ceremony with a Shinto priest to celebrate Japan's Coming of Age Day at Tokyo's Meiji Shrine on January 6, 2012. Since tour guides will be busy working on Japan's national holiday Coming-of-Age Day on January 9, the company held a ceremony for them ahead of time. Young people turning 20 are officially recognised as adults in Japan.

Twenty-year-old Japanese tour guides dressed in traditional kimonos

Twenty-year-old Japanese tour guides dressed in traditional kimonos write their wishes on 'ema', or voting tablets, to mark Japan's Coming-of-Age Day at the Meiji Shrine in Tokyo on January 8, 2010. Since tour guides will be busy working on Japan's national holiday Coming-of-Age Day on January 11, the company had a ceremony for them ahead of time. Young people turning 20 are officially recognised as adults in Japan.


Twenty-year-old Japanese tour guides dressed in traditional kimonos walk on the approach to Meiji Shrine to attend a purification ceremony with a Shinto priest to celebrate Japan's Coming-of-Age Day in Tokyo on January 8, 2010. Since tour guides will be busy working on Japan's national holiday Coming-of-Age Day on January 11, the company had a ceremony for them ahead of time. Young people turning 20 are officially recognised as adults in Japan.


Twenty-year-old Japanese tour guides dressed in traditional kimonos wait for a photo session after attending a purification ceremony with a Shinto priest to mark Japan's Coming-of-Age Day at the Meiji Shrine in Tokyo on January 8, 2010. Since tour guides will be busy working on Japan's national holiday Coming-of-Age Day on January 11, the company had a ceremony for them ahead of time. Young people turning 20 are officially recognised as adults in Japan.