The weekend just past Yoko’s parents visited us. They hadn’t seen the boys since August so they were keen to see how they had grown. They also came for a special occasion known as ‘Shichi-go-san’.
‘Shichi-go-san’ (literally: seven-five-three) is a rite of passage for small children in Japan. It is a small formal ceremony usually held on November 15 or thereabouts at a Shinto shrine to pray for a long and healthy life for children. For boys ages of attendence are 3 and 5, while for girls it is 3 and 7. Apparently odd numbers are considered lucky in Japan. (It should be noted though that 9 is not a lucky number because its pronunciation, ‘ku’, is the same as agony or torture.)
Shichi-go-san also provides an excellent photographic opportunity for the children’s parents. Children are dressed up in traditional Japanese formal wear such as a kimono, or in formal western clothes for the occasion. As you can see from the attached photos, Reni looked smart in his new coat, shirt & tie, long shorts & boots, thanks to Yoko’s fine co-ordinating skills. (I managed to convince Reni to wear his tie by wearing one myself.)
Once again we attended Oasa Shrine - the same shrine that we attended for Omiya-mairi, the boys’ first visit to a shrine. The shrine was abuzz with activity when we arrived. The nearest carpark was full so we had to walk a bit to reach the shrine grounds.
There were many people within the main shrine hall and the grounds. As soon as we arrived Yoko and her mum went to the reception and registered for the ceremony. Shortly after we were ushered into the shrine after the previous congregation had exited.
There were so many people in the shrine the priest had to allow people to sit in the inner sanctum of the hall. Within the cramped confines we all sat on the floor. After blessing the congregation, the priest began to pray.
I gradually began to regret choosing to sit kneeling in the formal ’seza’ position. The lady in front of me was filming so I decided it must be ok to take a photo. Getting out the camera also gave me a good excuse to change my sitting position.
The prayer took quite a long time, presumably because the priest had to read the names of all the children in attendance. Eventually the congregation was blessed once more to mark the end of the service. Well not quite the end. For the 5000 yen attendance fee each child also received a gift bag. Inside the colourful bag - a long candy cane called ‘chitose-ame’ (1000 years candy) that is a symbol of long life (but not for teeth, perhaps).
Tomorrow will be the last day of autumn here. It’s already cold though. I need my winter coat and beanie to ride to work these days. Soon I’ll be needing gloves too.
Compared to northern Japan however Shikoku is almost tropical. Because it is relatively warm here the kouyou autumn colurs don’t appear until late November / early December. Being an avid nature enthusiast, particularly at this time of year, I have been out with the family, friends and alone seeking the colurful leaves.
Unfortunately finding autumn colours is not that easy here. Although deciduous trees are native to here many have been lost, replaced by evergreen cedar forest. Besides making the landscape monotonous these cedar trees adversely affect the environment and people’s health.
Of all the deciduous trees in Japan, momiji maple trees are undoubtedly the most popular. Their symmetry and blazing colours are hard to beat. The bright yellow leaves of the ginnan gingko trees and the pastel colours of the broadleaf buna beech trees are also very appealing.
Here are a few photos to illustrate just how beautiful deciduous trees are, especially at this time of year and how boring evergreens can be in comparison.
