
If you haven’t heard yet, last week 20-year-olds all over Japan dressed up and gathered together on January 12 for their government official Coming-of-Age ceremonies. The event takes place every year for any young adult who turned 20 in the previous year. It’s an event that signifies their entry into adulthood and ability to legally drink alcohol.
However, there are some 20-year-olds who don’t get to celebrate the same way as their peers: those who joined the Japan Self-Defense Forces after high school and are off on duty somewhere. The forgotten few were not so forgotten this year, as some pictures of them were posted on Twitter. And you thought the guys in Okinawa were badass? Check out these soldiers.
▼ While their 20-year-old peers are partying it up at home, these two guys (with the red badges in the middle) are sitting on a sheet of ice in Antarctica! Brrrr!
[tweet https://twitter.com/miyagipco/status/556988180881080320 align=center]▼ If that’s not cool enough for you (no pun intended), check out these newly-turned adults on the Ground Force. Part of their ceremony included playing tug-of-war with an FH70 (a kind of howitzer artillery)!
Netizens are taking kindly to these photos, seeing these guys as much cooler than some of their crazy-haired cohorts who are getting all of the attention.
“They look older and more sophisticated than 20.”
“They really are turning into adults much more than the rest of us.”
“These guys are so much cooler than the delinquent-looking guys with goofy hair.”
“ANTARCTICA?!”
We hope that these Japan Self-Defense soldiers were at least able to have a little free time on this joyous occasion. Even if they did though, it might be a while until those two in Antarctica hear about their Twitter debuts!
Sources: Hamusoku
Images: Twitter (@miyagipco)


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