The worshippers, dressed in kimonos and bespoke belts, took their places inside a sacred Shinto shrine. One by one, they received blessings from a priest and listened obediently to ancient chants. Then they began to bark.It was a Friday morning at the Ichigaya Kamegaoka shrine in Tokyo, and a parade of poodles, Pomeranians, Chihuahuas and Bichons Frisés — with names like Latte, Chip and Potapotayaki — was celebrating a children’s festival known as Shichi-Go-San, or 7-5-3, alongside their owners. “Be joyful with your owners,” the shrine’s chief priest, Kenji Kaji, said. “Every day and for a long time to come.”For centuries, 7-5-3, which in modern times is celebrated throughout the fall, has been a rite of passage for Japanese children reaching the ages of seven, five and three, considered milestones in Japan.Now the festival is getting a pet-friendly revamp, with dozens of shrines across Japan offering blessings for four-legged companions, and owners splurging on wigs, amulets and tailor-made jackets.The popularity of 7-5-3 reflects Japan’s booming pet industry; the pet-product market has grown by about a fifth since 2019, to about $12 billion, according to some estimates. It also a sign of Japan’s rapidly changing demographics. The country has one of the lowest fertility rates in the world, and the number of children has reached a record low of 13.6 million. “People have shifted from having children to having pets,” said Miki Toguchi, 51, who visited the Ichigaya Kamegaoka shrine with Kotora, her 5-year-old miniature schnauzer. “I don’t have kids, but I have a dog.”The shrine welcomes more than 350 pets for 7-5-3 each fall, compared with about 50 children. Shinto is a faith that worships spirits that are found in all objects, living and inanimate.Kumiko Kasai, 43, a professional in Tokyo, visited on a recent morning with her goldenbrown dog, Liz. Kasai and her husband, who opted not to have children, spent months planning the ceremony and paid about $200 for a kimono with a golden obi sash for Liz. “I had great memories of 7-5-3, and I wanted to do the same for my dog,” Kasai said.The festival dates to the Heian period of Japanese history, from 794 to 1185. It was originally meant as a way for noble families to mark milestone birthdays for their offspring. The holiday is still celebrated by Japanese parents, who flock to shrines to show gratitude to gods for protecting their children. The decline in the number of kids taking part in the ceremony has hurt Shinto shrines across Japan. Pets provide a revenue stream and a way for shrines to stay relevant with younger generations. Go to Source
