Shichi Go San

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Kaimuki, Hawaii
Event Calendar Item
Shichi Go San
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Type: Keiki Events
Date: Sunday - 11/11/2007
Time: 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Location:
Japanese Cultural
Center of Hawai'i (JCCH)
Fifth Floor

Phone: (808) 945-7633
Cost: see notes

Event Name: Shichi Go San

Location of the event: Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai'i (JCCH), Fifth Floor

Date and Time: Sunday, November 11, 2007; from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Description of event: In commemoration of the traditional Japanese custom where children are dressed in their best kimono and brought to shrines to ensure a bright future, the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i (JCCH) presents Shichi Go San on Sunday, November 11, 2007 from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on the JCCH fifth floor, M�noa Room. Literally translated as “seven, five, three,” Shichi Go San stems from the Meiji era (1868-1912) when parents brought their kimono-clad children—girls, ages three and seven; and boys, age three and five—to Shint� shrines on November 15, or the closest weekend, and prayed for the children to have long and prosperous lives.

Kimono dressing cost is $70 for non-members; $56 for JCCH members. Photo packages are sold separately (packages range from $20 -$55 depending on amount and size of portraits). Make up and hair dressing not included. For more information or to make reservations, call the JCCH at (808) 945-7633 or email info@jcch.com.

This year at the JCCH, children can don elegant kimono, obi (long sash) and zori (sandals) provided by Masako Formals and pose for a portrait taken by a professional photographer from King Digital Imaging Center in honor of Shichi Go San. A reverend from the Izuma Taishakyo Mission of Hawaii will also perform a traditional Shint� blessing during the event. The blessing is optional.

In Japan, odd numbers—such as seven, five and three—are considered good luck. In medieval times, aristocratic and bushi (warrior) families celebrated the growth of infants into healthy boys and girls by stopping the shaving of their hair at age three; boys, at age five, put on hakama (loose trousers worn over kimono) for the first time in public; and girls, at age seven, began using obi to tie their kimono instead of cords.

By the Edo period (1603-1868), this practice spread to commoners, who began visiting shrines to have prayers offered by priests. The Shichi Go San customs practiced today evolved in the Meiji era. November 15 was chosen for this celebration because it was considered the most auspicious day of the year, according to the traditional Japanese calendar. Because the date is not a national holiday, most families pay their Shichi Go San respects on the weekend just prior to or after November 15.
Today in Hawai‘i, this coming-of-age custom has evolved to encompass all children regardless of their age.

Cost/Entry Fee: $56 per JCCH member; $70 per non-member. Photographs are a separate cost. Make-up and hair dressing are not included.

Public contact information: Phone: (808) 945-7633, fax: (808) 944-1123. Web address: www.jcch.com.

Name of sponsoring organization: The Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai'i, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, strives to share the history, heritage and culture of the evolving Japanese American experience in Hawai'i. The JCCH features a Community and Historical Gallery, Resource Center, Kenshikan martial arts do¯jo¯, Seiko¯an Japanese teahouse and Gift Shop.

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Kaimuki, Hawaii Event Calendar Item

Kaimuki, Hawaii
Event Calendar Item