7-5-3 Ceremony
The Soto Mission of San Francisco Sokoji will hold its annual Shichi-go-san Ceremony on Sunday, November 16, 2025 at 10:30 a.m., 12:00 noon., 1:30 pm., and 3:00 p.m. at 1691 Laguna Street in San Francisco’s Japantown.
Shichi-go-san, which literally translates to Seven-Five-Three, is a traditional Japanese rite of passage celebration for children ages three, five and seven. This event occurs in Japan on November 15th of each year. Since the years of 3-5-7 are crucial years for a child's growth, special blessings are offered at this time. On this day, boys (ages three and five) and girls ages (three and seven) dress up either in traditional Japanese clothes (hakama, kimono, obi) or formal western dress and go to a shrine with their parents. Children are given long, thin, red and white chitose ame (thousand year candy) inside bags with illustrations of a crane and turtle– a symbol of long life and happiness. The red and white colors of the chitose ame are an auspicious color combination in Japan. These symbols indicate wishes for a child’s good health and growth.