Jim McMahon
A popular children’s holiday in Japan is going to the dogs. Known as Shichi-Go-San, or 7-5-3, this ancient festival has long been a rite of passage for children at the ages of 3, 5, and 7. It’s part of the Shinto faith, which involves the worship of spirits representing both ancestors and elements of nature, including animals. Now 7-5-3 is getting a pet-friendly revamp. Dozens of Shinto shrines across the nation are offering blessings for four-legged companions, and owners are splurging on wigs and tailor-made kimonos. During the ritual, a priest waves a wooden wand and sprinkles scraps of paper over pets as a blessing, and owners write prayers on wooden amulets that are hung near the shrine’s entrance. The popularity of this ceremony reflects Japan’s booming pet industry and its population’s rapidly changing demographics. The country has one of the lowest fertility rates in the world, and the number of children has declined dramatically. “People have shifted from having children to having pets,” says Miki Toguchi, who visited a Tokyo shrine recently with her miniature schnauzer. Kenji Kaji, a Shinto priest in Tokyo, sees the pet-focused ceremonies as a way for the religion to stay relevant. “The best thing,” he adds, “is for both owners and pets to live happily.”