JAPANESE CULTURE AND TRADITIONS

Shichi-Go-San — The Day of Happy Shrine Visits for 7, 5, and 3 Year Olds

Giving thanks and offering prayers for children’s health, safety, and long life

Little boy, dressed in formal hakama trousers and kimono, with his parents to celebrate Shichi-Go-San. (Depositphotos)

Perhaps you’ve been lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a cute little girl dressed in a formal kimono walking with her parents at a Shinto shrine. Or maybe a little boy playfully running about in a men’s style hakama kimono.

These children have gone with their parents to their local shine to celebrate their Shichi-Go-San, continuing a tradition of offering thanks and prayers that started over 1,000 years ago.

Three-year-old girl dressed in kimono with a hifu vest. Seven-year-old girl in kimono. Five-year-old boy wearing formal kimono hakama trousers and long haori jacket. (Illustrations courtesy of irasutoya.)

Shichi-Go-San, 7–5–3

During the Heian Era (794–1185), the lucky, odd-numbered years of 3, 5, and 7 marked important milestones in a child’s life. To celebrate these auspicious occasions, children were dressed in their Sunday best and paid a visit to a Shinto Shrine or Buddhist temple.

Shichi-Go-San collectively refers to these events:

For both boys and girls at age 3 — 髪置き Kamioki