Genpuku
Encyclopedia
or genbuku was an historical Japan
ese coming-of-age ceremony. The etymology is atypical; in this case means "head" and means "wearing". The ceremony is also known as , , , , and .
To mark the entry to adult life of boys between the ages of 11 and 17 (typically of about age 12), they were taken to the shrines of their patron kami
. There they were presented with their first adult clothes, and their were changed to the adult style. They were also given new .
In Heian
times, the ceremony was restricted to the sons of noble and samurai
families. During the Muromachi
era, it gradually spread to include men of lower ranks.
The equivalent ceremony for women was called ; this was performed for girls aged between 12 and 14, and was similarly based around the presentation of adult clothing.
In modern Japan, these ceremonies have been replaced by annual coming-of-age ceremonies for 20-year-olds of both sexes called seijin shiki
, or by a ceremony held in school for students who have turned 15 years of age called a risshi-shiki (立志式), literally "standing hope ceremony" in which children stand in front of the school and declare their goals for the future.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese coming-of-age ceremony. The etymology is atypical; in this case means "head" and means "wearing". The ceremony is also known as , , , , and .
To mark the entry to adult life of boys between the ages of 11 and 17 (typically of about age 12), they were taken to the shrines of their patron kami
Kami
is the Japanese word for the spirits, natural forces, or essence in the Shinto faith. Although the word is sometimes translated as "god" or "deity", some Shinto scholars argue that such a translation can cause a misunderstanding of the term...
. There they were presented with their first adult clothes, and their were changed to the adult style. They were also given new .
In Heian
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...
times, the ceremony was restricted to the sons of noble and samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
families. During the Muromachi
Muromachi period
The is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate, which was officially established in 1338 by the first Muromachi shogun, Ashikaga Takauji, two years after the brief Kemmu restoration of imperial...
era, it gradually spread to include men of lower ranks.
The equivalent ceremony for women was called ; this was performed for girls aged between 12 and 14, and was similarly based around the presentation of adult clothing.
In modern Japan, these ceremonies have been replaced by annual coming-of-age ceremonies for 20-year-olds of both sexes called seijin shiki
Seijin shiki
is a Japanese holiday held annually on the second Monday of January. It is held in order to congratulate and encourage all those who have reached the age of majority over the past year, and to help them realize that they have become adults...
, or by a ceremony held in school for students who have turned 15 years of age called a risshi-shiki (立志式), literally "standing hope ceremony" in which children stand in front of the school and declare their goals for the future.