Shichi-Go-San

Shichi-Go-San (七五三, lit. "Seven-Five-Three") is a traditional rite of passage and festival day in Japan for three- and seven-year-old girls and five-year-old (and less commonly three-year-old) boys, held annually on November 15 to celebrate the growth and well-being of young children. As it is not a national holiday, it is generally observed on the nearest weekend.

Shichi-Go-San
Japanese boy at a shrine in Tokyo, dressed up for the Shichi-Go-San festival
Official name7-5-3 (shichi go san)
Observed byJapan
TypeEthnic Traditions/Non-Religious/Religious
SignificanceTraditional rite of passage and festival day in Japan for three- and seven-year-old girls and five-year-old (and sometimes three-year-old) boys
DateNovember 15

History
Shichi-Go-San ritual at a Shinto shrine
Kunisada

Shichi-Go-San is said to have originated in the Heian period amongst court nobles who would celebrate the passage of their children into middle childhood. The ages 3, 5 and 7 are consistent with East Asian numerology, which holds that odd numbers are lucky.[1] The practice was set to the fifteenth of the month during the Kamakura period.[2]

Its meaning is to celebrate the survival of children, because in the past people have lost their children due to poor health conditions. So, until the age 7, children were thought to be offspring of Japanese Gods.

Over time, this tradition passed to the samurai class who added a number of rituals. Children—who up until the age of three were required by custom to have shaven heads—were allowed to grow out their hair. Boys of age five could wear hakama for the first time, while girls of age seven replaced the simple cords they used to tie their kimono with the traditional obi.[3] By the Meiji period, the practice was adopted amongst commoners as well, and included the modern ritual of visiting a shrine to drive out evil spirits and wish for a long healthy life.

Current practice

The tradition has changed little since the Meiji period. While the ritual regarding hair has been discarded, boys who are aged five and girls who are aged three or seven are still dressed in kimono—many for the first time—for visits to shrines. Three-year-old girls usually wear hifu (a type of padded vest) with their kimono. Western-style formal wear is also worn by some children. A more modern practice is photography, and this day is well known as a day to take pictures of children. It is common to observe the rite based on the traditional way of calculating age, or kazoedoshi, in which children are one year old at birth and gain a year on each New Year's Day. In this case, girls celebrate in the year in which they would reach an age according to the modern calculation of two or six, and boys in the year in which they would reach an age according to the modern calculation of four.

Chitose ame

Chitose ame (千歳飴), literally "thousand year candy", is given to children on Shichi-Go-San. Chitose ame is long, thin, red and white candy, which symbolizes healthy growth and longevity. It is given in a bag decorated with a crane and a turtle, which represent long life in Japan.[4] Chitose ame is wrapped in a thin, clear, and edible rice paper film that resembles plastic.[5]

  • In Crayon Shin-chan episode 26–3, "My Shichi-Go-San", the Nohara family celebrates Shichi-Go-San.
  • In the OVA Mega Man: Upon a Star, Roll makes a promise with Akane at a Japanese festival that she will wear a kimono on this event.
  • In Mama Loves the Poyopoyo-Saurus episode 11–2, "Shobo-san who came in slobbing mama double", the Poyota family celebrates Shichi-Go-San.
  • In Paranoia Agent episode 8, "Happy Family Planning", the character Fuyubachi falls asleep on the train holding chitose ame, which he later gives to the young girl Kamome-kun.
  • In Katte ni Kaizō episode 3, "To Celebrate This Child's 7th Birthday", it's said that Kaizo is scared of 3-5-7 because of a childhood memory.
  • In episode 17 of Osomatsu-san, a picture of Jyushimatsu wearing kimono for 3-5-7 is shown in the photo album.
  • In episode 38 of the anime Dragonball Z, Kuririn asks Gohan if he's going to keep wearing that "Shichigosan suit".
  • In the OVA of My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU, when taking the group photo with the service club members, Hachiman remarks that their pose resembles the kind used for Shichi-Go-San.
  • In chapter 19 of the manga Honey and Clover, Hagu has coming-of-age photos taken as she turns 20, but Morita edits the photo to make it look like a Shichi-Go-San photograph, because she looks so young. In the edited photo, Hagu is holding a bag of chitose ame.
  • In episode 81 of the anime Toriko, main character Toriko & Komatsu distribute chitose-ame to children at Gourmet shrine in Shichigosan Festival as shoku-otoko.
  • In episode 854-1 of the anime Chibi Maruko Chan, Maruko's cousins arrive to celebrate Shichi-Go-San.

See also

References
  1. Rupp, Katherine (2003). Gift-giving in Japan: Cash, Connections, Cosmologies. Stanford University Press. p. 64.
  2. GoJapanGo: Shichi-Go-San, retrieved November 16, 2005
  3. Kids Web Japan: Shichi-Go-San Archived 2005-09-21 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved November 16, 2005
  4. Joly, Henri (1908). Legend in Japanese Art. Bodley head. pp. 78, 149, 316.
  5. Fukue, Natsuko, "It's fall, when kids in kimono fete 7-5-3 rituals Archived 2010-10-27 at the Wayback Machine", Japan Times, 11 November 2008, p. 3.
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