The key facts

  • Priest Kenji Kaji blessed a cat, a Shiba Inu, and Yorkshire terriers at the Shichi-Go-San festival in Tokyo
  • The shrine has received about 400 families with pets at each festival since the early 2000s
  • In June, data was published showing a record-low fertility rate in Japan for the previous year

A ritual for pets instead of children

On Saturday at the Ichigaya Kamegaoka Hachimangu Shinto shrine in Tokyo, priest Kenji Kaji performed a purification ritual with a wooden wand and white paper strips for a cat, a Shiba Inu, and several Yorkshire terriers dressed in kimono. It was the annual Shichi-Go-San (Seven-Five-Three) festival, traditionally celebrated by families marking the growth of children aged seven, five, and three. The event was reported by AFP.

Owners and their motives

Shoko Kodama, a 46-year-old physician, came to pray for the healthy growth and well-being of her cat Ember — a five-year-old British Shorthair for whom she spent two months hand-sewing a bright red kimono. 'This little one is like my child,' she said. Miyu Shiro, 23, who owns two Yorkshire terriers, said that celebrating the holiday with her dogs 'feels completely natural.' Koichi Ohara, 57, who has three children, came with three Chihuahuas and said they give him 'unconditional love.'

Demographic context

Priest Kaji linked the changing role of pets to the transformation of family structure: according to him, the number of people who have no children or have already raised them and get a dog or cat as a family member is growing. His shrine has received about 400 families at each festival since the early 2000s due to demand from pet owners. According to AFP, data published in June showed that Japan's fertility rate fell again last year to a record low. According to World Bank figures cited by the agency, the median age of Japan's population is 49.9 years, making it the second 'oldest' country in the world after Monaco.