Preparations for Shichi-Go-San, how to choose a kimono, and tips for having a great day

I'm Hirose, the store manager. The other day, we went to our house to pray for the Shichi-Go-San celebration. This year, my younger sister (second daughter) turned 7, and my older daughter turned 9. We went to Shimogoryo Shrine, the local guardian deity.

Having experienced Shichi-Go-San myself, I have gained some new insights, so I would like to share some tips and useful information to help you have a great day at your Shichi-Go-San.

What is a good Shichi-Go-San?

Before we get to that, what is an ideal Shichi-Go-San ceremony? Opinions differ depending on what each family values, but...

What is a good Shichi-Go-San?

1. Children stay in a good mood and don't fuss.
2. There is ample time (parents can spend time without getting irritated or rushing)
3. Grandparents from both families can enjoy it
4. Successfully perform a prayer at the shrine
5. Being able to take great commemorative photos
6. Enjoying a delicious celebratory meal

There may be other things, but that's about it. The two main events are "visiting the shrine" and "taking photos," and some families do these two on different days, so I think priorities vary from family to family. However, I think the key items that are common to both photography and visiting the shrine are 1 and 2.

In other words, children don't get fussy and parents don't get frustrated .
This is the key to a successful Shichi-Go-San celebration. (Well, this isn't just limited to Shichi-Go-San, but also applies to family trips and short outings...)

Preparations leading up to Shichi-Go-San

To-do list until the day

• Choosing children's costumes
• Arrangements for dressing in kimono
• Hair and makeup arrangements
• Photo shoot arrangements
• Reservation for prayer at the shrine
• Preparing the offering and gift envelope
• Celebration meal (restaurant) reservations

In addition to these, there is also the issue of what to do about costumes for the adults (parents).

It is especially difficult for a child who is three years old and celebrating their first Shichi-Go-San. Most children will be fussy on the day. The key to making it go well is:

Reduce preparation time on the day
"Reducing factors that make your child fussy"

is.

How to use Miyakomon kimono

To reduce the time it takes to get ready on the day, our shop "Miyakomon" offers easy-to-wear kimonos with one-touch operation. Mom and dad can dress their children themselves, which reduces the chance of them getting fussy and taking too long to get dressed. They can also change at home, which saves time on going to the kimono dressing center.
Even for adults, putting on a kimono can save you about an hour compared to having someone help you put it on, and putting it on yourself is easier than wearing a regular kimono, so it can save you about 30 minutes. If you have more time, you can feel a little more relaxed on the day.
If you try too hard to have a perfect Shichi-Go-San, you will run out of time and it will be difficult for both parents and children on the day. We recommend cutting back a little and making a reasonable plan that is child-centered (so that your child will be in a good mood).

A day in the manager's Shichi-Go-San celebration

Now, let me introduce our Shichi-Go-San ceremony. The kimono worn by my second daughter, the star of the show, was our own, but my eldest daughter, my wife, and I used products from our own store. It was a perfect opportunity to try out our own products.

I just had my second daughter's hair done at the hair salon she usually goes to. The hairdresser was very enthusiastic and gave her a very cute look. The trick is to make sure she wears clothes that open in the front over her underwear, as the carefully styled hair may get messed up when she takes off her T-shirt or other clothes.

While my second daughter was getting her hair done, I dressed my oldest daughter at home. I used a size 130 kimono for a 9-year-old. Once you get used to it, it will take about 10 minutes, but if it's your first time, practice the day before and plan on spending about 20-30 minutes.

Just as I finished dressing my eldest daughter, my second daughter came home after getting her hair done. Now it was time to dress her. The key to dressing your child is to have them go to the toilet before they get changed . This alone will reduce the amount of worry you have to endure after they get changed.

Now, regarding the division of responsibilities between parents, we recommend that the father be in charge of dressing the child, if possible. This is because while the father is dressing the child, the mother can also get changed at the same time. This saves a lot of time. The father's clothes are the easiest to change, whether it's a kimono or a suit, so he can get changed last and still make it in time. A suit is fine, but a kimono for the father is very easy, so why not take this opportunity to give it a try? Mothers should also encourage their fathers to wear kimonos.

In terms of dressing time alone, it took about 40 minutes for the four of us. I'm not particularly good at dressing myself, just a few tips. Normally, you should plan on spending about 60 minutes with your family of three. It's tough when you're busy with work, but if you practice the day before with your family of three, you can get ready without rushing on the day.

We took a taxi from our house to the shrine. Children are not used to wearing sandals, so please try to limit the distance they walk as much as possible. For 3-year-olds in particular, we recommend that you go out in your usual shoes and then change into sandals when you arrive at the shrine.

When you arrive at the shrine, you will apply for a prayer, and at this time, you should prepare the prayer fee in advance by putting it in a "noshi envelope" with a red and white bow. It may be tempting to pay with cash straight from your wallet, but please be aware that this is an offering to the gods.

After the prayer, we took commemorative photos in the shrine grounds with the grandparents from both families. This time, we had Kanako come through Our Photo , a website where you can hire freelance photographers . (Thank you for the wonderful photos!) Some shrines do not allow photography within the grounds, so when you make a reservation for the prayer, please let us know if you would like to take photos within the grounds.

We had our celebratory lunch at Rokusei in Okazaki, Kyoto. The adults had their famous "Teoke Bento" lunch box, and the children had a celebratory meal. The children's meals were served on high-legged trays, which was very impressive. Once the toast was over, the food was transferred to a regular tray for easier eating.

Useful tips for Shichi-Go-San

Here are some other tips that will be useful for Shichi-Go-San.

We recommend that you bring spare shoes for your children, or leave them in their shoes and change them when you go to the shrine or for photo shoots.

Since children will have a lot of luggage, we recommend carrying a larger bag that you normally use. We do not recommend using the so-called Rikyu bag for mothers' kimonos as it is difficult to use.

If you hire a photographer, you can visit the shrine and take photos at the same time. However, since you may have to worry about the weather when you are outdoors, we recommend that you use a local photo studio to avoid being affected by the weather.

The key to a successful Shichi-Go-San celebration is:

1. Reduce preparation time on the day
2. "Reducing factors that make your child fussy"

Tips

1. Children should go to the toilet before getting dressed.
2. Bring not only sandals but also your regular shoes.
3. Mom's bag is more of an everyday bag than a kimono bag

We hope that we can be of some help to ensure that everyone has a wonderful Shichi-Go-San celebration.

We do not offer Shichi-Go-San sets for three parents and children on our website, so please apply through our Rakuten page.