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On Adults Day, Buy Adult Games, Become Adult

Every year, the second Monday of January is "Coming of Age Day." People turning 20 years old that year get together and celebrate. When one reaches the age 20 in Japan, he or she is finally considered an adult. Being an adult means being able to do adult things like voting, drinking, smoking and buying adult PC games.

To celebrate (and initiate), the Akihabara Sofmap is running a special "Adult Time" campaign from January 12nd ~ 14th. Those who purchase new adult video games over ¥5,000 (US$46) will be entered in a raffle which offers prizes like a hug pillow covers, music CD and saucy illustrations. The kicker? This campaign poster says, "Grown-ups, buy an adult game and enter full adulthood."
Adult Hood [Akiba Blog]

5:00 AM on Thu Jan 10 2008
By Brian Ashcraft
10,109 views
37 comments

Comments

ShikiMSHTS at 05:04 AM on 01/10/08
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Couldn't they buy em 2 years ago? D:
Witzbold at 05:09 AM on 01/10/08
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Connectedness Index: 3401

Now Im officially scared.
Brian Ashcraft at 05:09 AM on 01/10/08
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Connectedness Index: 1520

@ShikiMSHTS:
GOOD POINT.
heyyywrestler at 05:12 AM on 01/10/08
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That's got my name written allllllll over it.
Trochan at 05:13 AM on 01/10/08
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So wait, we can now officially buy manliness?
setuzoku at 05:14 AM on 01/10/08
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IN Japan, the definition of Adult is complex, such as;
16 = Motorcycle license. Girls can marry
18 = Car license. Adult-only goods allowed. Boys can marry.
20 = Voting. Contract without parent's consent. Drink. Smoke.
Hikikomori at 05:20 AM on 01/10/08
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If I'm partially at adulthood, I wonder what true full adulthood feels like. Of course, that would mean I'd have to buy their adult game. Clever marketing ploy.
Jesse in Japan at 05:21 AM on 01/10/08
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@setuzoku: Don't forget about age of consent laws. Now those are really complicated.
KM91 at 05:39 AM on 01/10/08
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Wow.
ThisCharmingMan at 05:46 AM on 01/10/08
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Connectedness Index: 81

Imagine if Adult shops here in the states had a "coming of age sale." How much of a fallout do you think THAT would create? Japan really fascinates me, can't wait to get there one day.
Kaedex at 05:49 AM on 01/10/08
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@setuzoku: so I guess girls at age of 16 can only have hot steamy lesbian action huh ?
nya-chama at 05:50 AM on 01/10/08
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You'd think they would give away a free box of tissues with it but nope...

Turning into an adult kinda sux though, everything illegal I did in my teenage years all of a sudden turn legal and it's less fun.
nya-chama at 05:52 AM on 01/10/08
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@Kaedex:
Actually, I heard the age of consent in Japan can range from as little as 13 years old to 18 years old depending on the region.
Onizuka-GTO at 05:54 AM on 01/10/08
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what? girls can marry at 16? but boys can only at 18?

sheesh. at leased make it 25.

give a bloke some breathing space for haruhi;s sake.
Electroqueen at 05:59 AM on 01/10/08
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@Onizuka-GTO: I blame those horny old men. They DO dominate the government...

Now this is just disgusting. "Buy an adult game, become an adult." Sex and more sex doth not an adult make.
Billqvist at 06:08 AM on 01/10/08
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No, sex usually doth a child make.

Then again, they tend to turn out as adults in the end. Physically, at least.
cybereality at 06:38 AM on 01/10/08
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The DreamParty CD says "UNDER 17". Huh? I thought it was adult day?
homerj at 06:40 AM on 01/10/08
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@cybereality:

It's a Japanese "adult" game, so that's probably referring to the girls IN the game.
Reilaos~ at 06:43 AM on 01/10/08
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@Billqvist: You sir, win.
Banned for Nothing at 07:04 AM on 01/10/08
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Sex and videogames, a winning combo in any country... well except those countries that like to shelter there young and innocent from violence, drugs and sex. Gotta love japan :D
amake at 07:20 AM on 01/10/08
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The best part is that it's a haiku, although they note that there's one too many syllables (it's 5-7-6).
Taiyz at 07:21 AM on 01/10/08
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@cybereality & @homerj: UNDER 17 is a Japanese band, I assume they're responsible for the game's opening or ending theme(s.)
illiterati at 07:21 AM on 01/10/08
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Actually, the thing that makes this REALLY funny is that it's written in haiku form. (hence the spaces, and the last line goes one syllable over, as noted in the parentheses)

You have to appreciate porn waxing poetic.
realyst2k at 07:24 AM on 01/10/08
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"porn waxing poetic" that needs to be a band's name NOW.
icepick314 at 07:45 AM on 01/10/08
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@Taiyz:
UNDER17 from back in the days broke up few years ago...if Haruko Momoi is still using that name, then it's just her...and whatever backup band she's with...

i've never known UNDER17 doing music for eroge...this is certainly new to me...

and nothing says you're a MAN like playing Japanese eroge!!!
Antiterra at 08:09 AM on 01/10/08
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Connectedness Index: 99

Hilarious! "Full adulthood" = wanking off in front of a PC. Isn't 20 years old high-friggin'-time you moved AWAY from your computer and maybe got acquainted with, you know, the opposite (or not) sex?
Ansaga at 08:21 AM on 01/10/08
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@icepick314: Under17 originally did Akihabara street performances (That is why Halko Momoi is called the Queen of Akihabara) and eroge OPs. Yea they broke up a few years ago and they no longer use the name and Halko Momoi no longer does eroge OPs. Now she does singing and voice acting, her last big role was being the heroine in Seto no Hanayome.
Rafalapso at 09:14 AM on 01/10/08
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I never knew that masturbation was part of the adulthood passage ritual. SPECIALLY masturbation to japanese adult games that CAN be about animated underage sex.
Morte at 09:27 AM on 01/10/08
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oh shit, I'd be getting in on that this year...I'm old! T_T
JGab at 09:37 AM on 01/10/08
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Man...turning 20 this year...I feel like my life has been spent doing nothing but playing games and going to school...

...I should start...writing a book or something...
Tepoz at 10:26 AM on 01/10/08
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Man, I love Japanese pop-culture.
Gentleben-Nintendo... at 10:57 AM on 01/10/08
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so it's clear that there is tons of straight porn for adult day-but what happens if you hanker after the gay kind?
gitrooman at 11:27 AM on 01/10/08
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artificial girl 3 FTW
MURDERFACE at 01:01 PM on 01/10/08
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LOL god bless Japan and their creepy undertones on their PC games.
Rohit_N at 02:30 PM on 01/10/08
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I've never actually understood why most Japanese PC games suck.
Vecha at 05:59 PM on 01/10/08
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@パラノイア:

You CAN do both you know. lol
y2kenjination at 08:43 PM on 01/10/08
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...Except they hardly even seem to card people in Japan, if EVER. Hell, I bought hentai manga and doujinshi in Japan back when I was 13 years old. They even have beer/cigarette vending machines...