160903-0044 - Shichi-Go-San

Three young girls and an elderly man, April 1949 (Showa 24).

Two of the girls are all dressed up in kimono and beautiful hair decorations, so they are likely celebrating Shichi-Go-San (七五三), a traditional rite of passage for three and seven year old girls and five year old boys.

Shichi-Go-San is said to have originated amongst court nobles in the Heian Period (794-1185). By the Meiji Period (1868-1912), the practice was adopted amongst the general population and included visiting a shrine to wish for a long healthy life and drive out evil spirits.three and five year-old boys, held on November 15.