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International Children's Day Celebration (ICDC, Shichigosan)

This joyful celebration will be brought to New York for the 12th time this autumn by the International Shinto Foundation (ISF), a non profit organization registered in New York and also accredited to the United Nations as a non governmental organization (NGO).

The Children's Day Celebration will be performed in the traditional Japanese Shinto ritual form, based on the prayers and blessings for the happiness of the children taking part in the ceremony as well as for all children everywhere. Children of all religions are cordially invited to participate in this event which is aimed at introducing a foreign culture and cementing friendships among the participants.

Shichigosan An Ancient Japanese Tradition
Children's Celebration in Japan (known as Shichigosan Blessing) is among the most colorful rituals in the world. Every November parents take their 3 and 5 year-old boys and 3 and 7 year-old girls, dressed up in their best traditional Japanese kimono and fashionable costumes, to local shrines to receive divine blessings. This charming event, which is celebrated all over the country, remains one of the happiest memories of everyone's childhood.

This traditional event goes back to ancient Japan, and a ritual called kami-oki, where 3 year-old children whose hair had been shaved, started growing it. There was also a ritual called hakamagi, in which 5 year-old boys wore hakama-clothes for the started using an obi-belt instead of a string attached to their child's clothes. And in the Obioki ritual, 7 year-old girls started wearing an obi-belt.

These rituals were carried out with the which boys and girls, who are pure "god-like beings until seven years old," according to a Japanese proverb, to grow from fragile little children into sturdy big ones. Through these rituals, parents offered gratitude for their children's healthy growth, safety and also prayed for their future happiness.

Parents' desire for their children's sound growth and prayer for their future happiness is universal but Japan has made it into a colorful annual event which brings joy and smiles to the entire nation.

2011's ICDC, Shichigosan schedule; Please note that the schedule might be changed.

The 12th ICDC, Shichigosan in New York City on October 22nd & 23rd, 2011.
Click here to see details.

The 5th ICDC Shichigosan in Washington, DC Area on October 29th & 30th, 2011.
Click here to see details.

Registration is required via online by October 3rd, 2011.

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Our past ICDC report
(Links will be update soon)

2010, October 23rd, 24th in NYC. October 30th and 31st in DC area.
Our Annual International Children's Day Celebration (Shichigosan), was held in New York City on October 23 and 24 at the Japan Society auditorium. The ceremony was also held in the Washington,DC area the following weekend, October 30 and 31. The Washington,DC event was held at the National 4H center, an institution for educating children....read more>>

2009, October 24th, 25th in NYC. October 31st, November 1st in DC area.
Annually since 2000, Shichigosan has been hosted by the International Shinto Foundation. This year marked the 10th ceremony in NY and the 3rd ceremony in the Washington DC area. The ceremony is open to all interested participants and is held as an offering of a traditional Japanese life cycle ritual here in the United States...read more>>

2008, October 25th, 26th in NYC. November 1st, 2nd in DC area.
Our Annual International Children's Day Celebration (Shichigosan), was held in New York City on October 25& 26, 2008. The celebration took place at the Japan Society. The second annual Shichigosan celebration was also held in the Washington, DC area the following weekend, November 1st & 2nd at Ten Shin Ichi Ryu dojo...read more>>

2007, November 3rd, 4th in NYC. November 10th, 11th in DC area.

2006, October 21st, 22nd.
This October, we had the pleasure of attending quite an interesting event steeped in Japanese tradition. Called Shichi-Go-San, which literally means 7-5-3, the two-day function was held by the International Shinto Foundation through New York’s Japan Society....read more>>

2005, October 8th, 9th.
We are delighted to report that the 6th Annual International Children's Day Celebration was very successful as we had 102 children and over 400 people attending the event, which this year was held for the first time at UNICEF House, Labouisse Hall...read more>>

2004, October 9th, 10th. The 5th Annual International Children’s Day Celebration (Shichigosan), held in New York City the weekend of October 9 & 10, 2004 at The Interfaith Center of New York, was a great success... read more>>

2003, October 11th, 12th.

2002, October 5th, 6th.
The International Children's Day Celebration was held on October 5-6, 2002 (Saturday and Sunday) at the Chapel of the Church Center for the United Nations across the street from United Nations Headquarters...read more>>

2002, April 7th (rescheduled of 2001) 
On April 7, 2002 the Chapel of the Church Center for the United Nations was once again crowded with young children brightly dressed in Japanese kimono for their traditional Shichi-go-san (7-5-3) ceremony...read more>>

2000, November 18th, 19th.
The first International Children's Day Celebration ended successfully with more than 60 families attending over two days. One of the most important ceremonies for Japanese children, Shichigosan is performed for three and seven year old girls and three and five year old boys...read more>>