Japanese Boys' Clothes: Folk/Traditional Costumes


Figure 1.--Here we see a Japanese boy wearing a traditional hakama for the Sichigosan festival in 2005. Also note his bag with the traditional Shichigosan candy 2005 in Japan. This boy looks to be age 5. There are also celebrations when the children turn 3 and 7.

Children dress up in traditional costumes on some holidays. This is especially common for Kodomo no hi--Children's Day. The holiday is celebrated May 5. It is also common for Shichigosan. This is the celevration when children turn celebrates the 7-5-3 (sichi-go-san) festival for children who have just or will soon turn 3, 5 and 7 years old. The official day for the festival is November 15. We also believe that children may dress up in traditional outfits on other holidays as well. Some families may all dress up in their traditional garments for a New Year's portrait.

New Years (January 1-3)

Some families may all dress up in their traditional garments for a New Year's portrait.

Kodomo no hi (May 5)

Kodomo no hi or Children's Day is an important amd popular holiday in Japan. There is a Children's Day in America, but is virtually ignored. In Japan it is actually celebrated. I am not sure, but before World War II the holiday may have been called Tango-no sekku meaning boy or son day or festival. The festival was apparently conceived to promote the martial spirit in boys and to according to a press agency to "bring helath, success, and prosperity to males throughout the land." Elabortely costumed dolls, often handed down from previous generations were displayed in Japanese homes for the whole month. They represented popular Japanese male heros. Friends and relations might visit families with sons. They would be served sweet riceccakes wrapped in oak leaves. The symbol of this holiday is the carp. Families often hang paper or cloth carps head up from poles outside the home. This signifies that the son or sons of the family will be just as healthy as the spirited carp attempting to swim up a water fall.

Oban (August 13-15)

Obon/O-bon is the Festival of the Dead. It is celebrated August 13-15 in most of Japan. . Obon is a Buddhist native to Japan. It is a family holiday to honor the departed spirits of family ancestors. This traditional Buddhist festival im modern Japan has evolved into a popular tome to hold family reunions. Commonly city dwealers visit their parents and now often grand parents living in rural areas. Often the grand parents jave passed away, but family graves are located in rural home towns. The family visits and cleans their ancestors' graves. There is traditionally a dance festival. Obon has been clebrated in Japan for more than 500 years. Dates are a bit complicated in Japan. Obon used to be held July 13-15 which is August 13-15 on the old lunar lunar calendar still used in rural areas. Some Japanese, especially in the East celebrate the holiday in July, but in Tokyo and increasingly in the rest of Japan August is more common.The observance has shifted in recent years to August 13-15. This is during the summer holiday when the children are on summer vacation. This makes in easier to organize a family vacation. Obon is similar in some ways to the Mexican Día de los Muertos which also involves family reunions and visit to family grave sites. Often the family members wear traditional dress.

Shichigosan (November 15)

It is also common for Shichigosan. This is the celevration when children turn celebrates the 7-5-3 (sichi-go-san) festival for children who have just or will soon turn 3, 5 and 7 years old. The official day for the festival is November 15. The girls dress in brilliantly colored kimono and the boys in elaborate pleated skirts known as hakama. The family then go to the local Shinto shrine. The 7-5-3 ages are what the adults see as critical ages in a child's development. Parents thus take their children that age to the Shinto shries to offer thanks and for future blessings. They may also go to Buddist temples, depending on the family's orientation. Young children in Japan were regarded as gifts of God until age 7 at which time they become normal human beings. Tis probably played into the age choices in Shichigosan. For the girl, age 3 marked the age that her hair will be put up in an adult-like manner for the first time. When she reaches age 7, she is given her first obi, the silk sash to be worn with kimono. For the boys, 5-year old is the age they are given their first hakama. The children also receive a bag of candy to celebrate the holiday. There are many family snapshots as well as formal studio portraits taken for the event.







HBC





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Created: 10:28 PM 10/7/2006
Last updated: 8:23 AM 10/11/2007