Kimono no Hi (Kimono Day)

What Is Kimono Day?

Kimono Day (Kimono no Hi) was established by the All Japan Kimono Promotion Association when it was founded in 1966. November 15th is the day of Shichi-Go-San, when children in their finest clothes visit shrines. The hope behind it is that families will go out together in kimono on this day. The association aims to spread knowledge of the kimono, and through it to renew appreciation of Japan's national dress and improve people's clothing life. Events are held around this day in cooperation with kimono businesses, ministries, and local governments across Japan. The Japan Kimono Federation (Nihon Kimono Renmei), made up of kimono retailers nationwide, has also registered November 15th as "Kimono Day" with the Japan Anniversary Association.

Shichi-Go-San and the Kimono

Shichi-Go-San is an annual event celebrating children at ages seven, five, and three, when families visit a shrine or temple to report that the child has grown safely, give thanks, and pray for protection. It was properly held by counting age in the traditional way, though many families now use the child's actual age. Its date is said to follow the precedent of November 15th in the old calendar in 1681 (Tenna 1), when a hair-growing celebration was held for Tokugawa Tokumatsu, the eldest son of the fifth shogun, Tokugawa Tsunayoshi. The 15th of the old calendar was considered auspicious for any undertaking, and it is a full-moon day. After the calendar reform of the Meiji era it moved to November 15th, though many families now hold it on a weekend or holiday in November, and in colder places such as Hokkaido it is often held on October 15th.

• Age 3 (kamioki):Held mainly for girls. In the Edo period the hair was shaved until age three, and this ritual marked the end of that. A "hifu" vest is often worn
• Age 5 (hakamagi):Held mainly for boys. A ritual of wearing hakama for the first time, traditionally with a haori jacket and hakama. From around 1909, Western clothes imitating navy uniforms also became popular
• Age 7 (obitoki):Held for girls. They give up the kimono with attached ties and begin tying an adult-width obi

Types of Kimono and Their Formality

Kimono have a "rank" suited to the occasion. Furisode are the top formal wear for unmarried women, black tomesode for married women, and iro-tomesode may be worn by women married or not. Homongi are semi-formal wear for entrance ceremonies and tea gatherings, while komon and tsumugi are casual clothes for strolling or theater. In the Kansai region there is also "Juusan-mairi," a visit at age 13. For Shichi-Go-San, ages and customs differ by region, and in Shizuoka and the Tokyo area more families now dress three-year-old boys in a hifu.

Tips for Marking This Day

• If you see children in their Shichi-Go-San finery, notice the patterns of the kimono and how the obi is tied
• Chitose-ame candy is said to trace back to "senen-ame" sold by Shichibei, a Asakusa candy seller, in the Genroku-Hoei era of the Edo period, and it carries wishes for long life. It comes in bags decorated with auspicious designs such as cranes, turtles, and pine, bamboo, and plum. Talk about childhood memories
• Put a kimono rental or dressing experience on your weekend plans. Many tourist areas have shops where you can stroll in kimono
• Ask whether relatives have kimono sleeping in storage. Learning about materials, dyeing, and weaving changes how you see them

Bringing Kimono Closer

Kimono show many faces depending on materials such as silk, cotton, hemp, and wool, and on dyeing and weaving techniques. Combining an obi with accessories such as obijime and obidome also lets people express their own style. Many people find kimono difficult or expensive, but Kimono Day is a chance to look at Shichi-Go-San scenes and the kimono around you as a first step. Incidentally, November 15th is also Kelp Day (set in 1982 by the Japan Kelp Association) and Kamaboko Day (set in 1983 by the national fish-paste federation), both tied to Shichi-Go-San. Good material for small talk.