Explore everyday life in Japan
Since some time during the Edo Period (1603 – 1868), the third, fifth, and seventh years of children’s lives have held considerable cultural significance in Japan. They have been considered maturation years, and were once considered years when children transitioned from being a baby into a child, and from being a child into a young man or a young woman.
During the Edo Period, it was customary to keep children’s heads, both boys and girls, shaved until their third birthday. Upon turning three, their survival until that point was celebrated, thanks was given at a local shrine, and their hair was grown long. For boys, fifth birthdays meant another celebration and more thanksgiving. It also meant being allowed to wear a traditional robe known as a hakana, which meant becoming more associated with adults. For girls, turning five carried little significance, but turning seven meant being allowed to wear a full-sized obi belt when wearing kimono, which carried with it the significance of being considered as more of an adult.
These days, the customs described above have been dropped and the celebration of these years has become more of a thanksgiving and a chance for Japanese people to remember their traditional culture than anything else. Nowadays, it is typical for girls to wear kimono, have their hair done, get their portraits taken at a professional photography studio, and go to a local shrine with their family to pray and give thanks some time between August and November of their third and seventh years. Boys, for the most part, only celebrate during the year of their fifth birthdays, and they do so in much the same way as girls. They put on traditional Japanese clothes, have their portraits taken, often while holding swords and striking samurai poses, and go to a shrine with their family to pray and give thanks some time between August and November.
During the Meiji Period, Shichi-Go-San, as this celebration is called (seven-five-three) was held on November 15. Prior to that, its date varied from year to year based on the Chinese Lunar Calendar. Though it is celebrated over a broader period of time these days, often anytime between August and November, I have found that November is still the time of year when you are most likely to see this celebration taking place at local shrines. During the first two weeks of November, it is common to find food and toy vendors with their makeshift tents set up outside of the entrances of shrines, and it is quite a sight to see children in their various kimonos walking around while their parents and grandparents follow, dressed in suits and nice dresses.
This is an ongoing series that will explore various aspects of daily life in Japan. My hope is that this series will not only reveal to its followers, image by image, what Japan looks like, but that it will also inform its followers about unique Japanese items and various cultural and societal practices. If you are interested in getting regular updates about life in Japan, please consider following me at @boxcarblue. If you have any questions about life in Japan, please don’t hesitate to ask. I will do my best to answer all of your questions.