In Hachimantai City, Iwate Prefecture, the "summer coming-of-age ceremony", which has been canceled or postponed due to the influence of the new coronavirus, was held for the first time in three years.
Hachimantai City used to hold a ``summer coming-of-age ceremony'' every year during the Obon period, but due to the influence of the new corona, it was canceled last year, and last year it was postponed to winter, so this summer will be held for the first time in three years. have become.
In response to the fact that the age of adulthood was lowered to 18, the name of the ceremony was changed to "20-year-old gathering", and 130 people who turned 20 years old in the previous year gathered at the venue in the city to meet again for the first time in a long time. I was delighted.
At the ceremony, Mayor Takahiro Sasaki encouraged the students by saying, "Please build rich human relationships and lead them to growth."
After that, Rikuto Hatakeyama, representing the participants, said, "As a member of society, I will take responsibility for my words and actions, and I vow to become a respectable adult who can give back to Hachimantai City, where I was born and raised." made a decision.
A woman who attends a university outside the prefecture said, "I was worried that we would be able to get together due to the corona crisis, so I'm glad that it was held. She turned 20 and wants to show her family how she has grown up."
A working adult living in the city said, "I have friends from outside the prefecture, so I'm looking forward to meeting them after a long time. I aim to become an independent adult."