What is the genbuku ceremony?

Genbuku (元服) is a coming-of-age ceremony in pre-modern Japan, where a boy or a girl at about 14-16 years old would change to an adult hairstyle, wear adult clothes, and choose an adult name. These would traditionally be their styles, clothing, and names for the rest of their lives. For males, the traditional ages were 15 for court nobles, and 20 for samurai and commoners. At the same time, the person taking part would be given an adult name (and a girl of noble rank would sometimes drop the "ko" from the end of her name to mark the occasion).

The ceremony was considered a symbolic rite of passage from childhood to adulthood, signifying that an individual was now able to take on adult responsibilities and become a full member of society. The genbuku ceremony was generally celebrated with elaborate rituals and celebrations.