Seven-five-three

Today I visited Kushida Shrine in search of extremely well-dressed children... Ok, this probably sounds slightly disturbing, but not when you know that on November 15 the festival of Shichi-go-san gets celebrated, a day of prayer for the healthy growth of young children. Shichi-go-san literally means seven, five, three; all odd numbers believed to be lucky in Japanese numerology. November 15 was chosen for this celebration because according to the traditional Japanese calendar it was the most auspicious day of the year. In most regions around the country, boys and girls aged three, boys aged five, and girls aged seven visit a Shinto shrine with their parents. Most girls wear kimonos when making this visit, while many boys don traditional haori jackets and hakama trousers. In the space of an hour I was fortunate enough to see a 3-year-old and 7-year-old girl and a 5-year-old boy, a perfect shichi-go-san celebration :-). Funnily enough during my 'photoshoot' I myself was asked by a Japanese businessman to pose for a holiday snapshot. The observer was obviously being observed!

This little boy was receiving help from his father with reading his fortune slip. The fabric and design of his silk jacket were simply exquisite, worthy of being framed and hung on a wall! Attaching your fortune to the shrine tree ensures that good things will happen (I've done this in the past & have yet to see results, but hey!). What can I say, except: kawaii (adorable)!! The poor toddler had heaps of trouble walking on her clogs though, it was quite comical to see her waddle along the shrine grounds trying not to keel over... A gorgeous girl in an equally gorgeous kimono. Oh, how I wish I were Japanese & seven years old ;-).