On 9th January, 730,000 men and 700,000 women celebrated Coming-of-Age day in Japan, the lowest number since 1987. This year the number of people who greeted the new year aged 20 was 70,000 lower than 2005.

1987 saw an exceptionally low number of people marking having attained 20 because 1966 was the year of the 'Fire-Horse' in Japanese astrology. There is a superstition that women born in this year, which occurs every 60 years, are considered to be headstrong, and even dangerous to their husbands, so many people chose not to have children that year.

The figures for 2006 yet again emphasize the population concerns of the country.