shichi-go-san at meiji shrine 七五三 (harajuku,japan)

Posted by timothy sullivan (Tokyo, Japan) on 17 November 2008 in Lifestyle & Culture.

this is the first of a series of photos showing a bit about the celebration of Shichi-go-san (Seven-five-three) Day, one of the most interesting (and, in my humble opinion, the most heartwarming) festivals in japan.

around November 15 every year, children aged three, five and seven dress in kimono and head to their local temple to receive a special kind of candy meant to bring longevity-- chitoseame, or "thousand-year (age) candy".

as with many rites of passage, parents often want to bring their children to really popular temples. in Tokyo, perhaps the most famous temple for Shichi-go-san is the Meiji-jingu Shrine in Harajuku.

each year i try to view the festival slightly differently, and take slightly different photos accordingly. this year, one of the things i decided to focus on was the reactions of foreigners to the festival; the other point of focus was something along the lines of "kids being kids".

(day 1 of 6)

last year's photos >>

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