Shichi-Go-San (七五三)

Shichi-Go-San (七五三) is a traditional rite of passage and festival day in Japan for three- and seven-year-old girls and three- and five-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.

The tradition has changed little since the Meiji period. While the ritual regarding hair has been discarded, boys who are aged three or 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. Some families 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 Lunar New Year.

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