Japanese Woman Dons a Kimono to a Snowboarding Session

Japanese Woman Mesmerizes Audiences by Snowboarding While Wearing a Kimono for “Coming of Age Day”

By Regina Sienra on January 23, 2023

成人式行ってきました！！！ pic.twitter.com/CLQKVC1o5l

— ‎‎‎蚊取り線香‎‎‎᪤ (@Katorisenkou_ks) January 9, 2023

Around the world, there are several rites of passage to mark that a person has come of age, from bar mitzvahs and bat mitzvahs to sweet sixteens and quinceañeras. Japan has a Coming of Age Day, in which people who have turned 20 (or 18, as of 2022) attend ceremonies at their local city halls and the women wear kimonos with long, flowing sleeves called furisode. Twitter user Katorisenkou_ks chose to celebrate the occasion with something that truly represents who she is—a snowboarding session. Her choice to sport her elegant kimono as she slid down the mountains of Ueda has inspired many people across Japan.

The 20-year-old snowboarder shared a picture of her donning her bright red kimono with gold decorations and a white fur collar, along with the message, “I went to the coming-of-age ceremony! ! !” and a video of her zipping down the slope at the Takeishi Banshogahara Ski Resort, in the Nagano Prefecture. While most people go back to their hometowns for the celebration, she chose to spend the day there, given her deep connection to this site. After dealing with a series of health issues throughout her life, she took up the sport when she was 16, and has been practicing at this site ever since.

The original tweet went viral, earning over 330,000 likes and more than 85,000 retweets. Its reach inspired the young snowboarder to post more footage of her own coming of age ceremony, including a picture of her gracefully riding the chair lift up to the top, and posing with her kimono under the sun, as well as another video of her moves.

Twitter users have filled her mentions with congratulatory messages, commending her outfit and her cool snowboarding skills. Katorisenkou_ks was even invited to a Japanese TV show, where she also appeared with her now-famous red kimono.

Though it’s been a highlight of her Coming of Age Day celebration, snowboarding isn't her only passion. She is a self-described otaku and cosplayer, and even mentions that she likes that ski resort because it's welcoming of snowboarders in costume. On top of that, she's developing new artistic skills. “I am a student of lacquerware and painting,” she shares. She is even open to commissions on her account @sumire_morino.