(Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi/Stripes Japan)
If you visit a Japanese shrine or temple in November, you will likely see a lot of young children dressed in beautiful traditional attire and holding colorful envelopes filled with candy. And you’ll see their proud parents and other family members snapping photos and shooting video. This is “shichigosan” (seven-five-three), a traditional celebration and rite of passage in the Land of Rising Sun.
Tradition suggests that girls ages three and seven and five-year-old boys should visit a local shrine or temple to drive out evil spirits and wish for a long healthy life every year on Nov. 15. However, since shichigosan is not designated as a national holiday, any day in November is acceptable.
Zama Jinja, located just behind Camp Zama, is the only shrine in Japan that also has a special spot for dogs and cats.
Inuneko-sha, a tiny shrine for pets, is found in the garden behind the main shrine building. Here you’ll see hundreds of wooden ema tablets hanging near a torii gate and stone statue of a dog and cat. Whenever I visit there and see the tablets, I can’t help but be moved when reading the tablets. One reads “May my cat soon recover from disease,” while the other reads “May my deceased dog be accepted in heaven.”
With all these well wishes for beloved pets, it’s no wonder that the shrine would also extend the ritual of shichigosan for the longevity of cats and dogs.
During the celebration, dogs and cats of ages seven, five and three can visit for blessings and Shinto prayers. The pets dressed in doggy or kitty kimono, along with their owners, are purified by the priest and take photos on the special stage set up for the occasion.
At Zama Shrine, with 5,000 yen (about $33), you can have a Shinto priest pray for your pet at the Inuneko-sha in November.
The shine is now accepting reservations of pet’s Shichigosan. Why not celebrate your pet’s rite of passage to drive out evil spirits and wish for a long, healthy life in November at Zama Jinja?
(Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi/Stripes Japan)
(Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi/Stripes Japan)
(Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi/Stripes Japan)
Zama Jinja (Shinto shrine)
