Jennifer Tanaka

Holiday Lesson Plan: Shichigosan (Seven-Five-Three) Celebrated on November 15th

Grade: 1
Student learner objectives:
1. Children will learn about a holiday that celebrates children in Japan that are about the
same age as them.
2. Children will learn about the meaning of dressing up at each age (3, 5, 7) and what the
items that children receive symbolize.
3. Children will read the story Japanese Celebrations as a group.
4. Children will get to see the Horse that my father received when he was this age.
5. Children will locate Japan on the map.
6. Children will know the Japanese flag.
7. Children will learn to count to 10 in Japanese.
8. Children will learn to write 3, 5, and 7 in Japanese.
9. Children will make a Shichigosan bag of their own, and receive some candy when their
bag is finished.

Materials:

Japanese Celebrations: Cherry Blossoms, Lanterns, and Stars! Book By Betty Reynolds
Link to video following day of two young girls on Shichigosan:
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?
q=shichigosasn+music&&view=detail&mid=9B4356E061BB3ABE6EE89B4356E061B
B3ABE6EE8&FORM=VRDGAR
Link to How to Create a Shichigosan Bag
http://japanesehouse.bostonchildrensmuseum.org/sites/default/files/resourcepdfs/KNM_Fall-ShichiGoSan-Make-Candy-Bag.pdf
We will have pre-printed out bags for students to cut out, color in, and assemble.
Link to Japanese Childrens song: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?
q=japanese+childrens+songs+with+english+lryrics&&view=detail&mid=8892FD47B62
1E379B8948892FD47B621E379B894&FORM=VRDGAR
We will need black paint, thick sheets of white paper, and paint brushes.
We will need crayons for our art project and tape.
Japanese material for Kimono to show students.
Japanese music to play during art project https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=pPFabRaQI-0
We will need scissors.

Curricular Connections:
Reading, Math, Geography, Art, Music

Procedure:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Show children a map and locate Japan.

Show children the Japanese flag and its meaning.
Read the story about Japanese traditions and holidays.
Discuss the importance of this day in Japanese culture with the students.
Watch short video following two little girls through the day of Shichigosan.
Show children the material that parents use to create their childrens kimonos. (optional)
Show students the images of children in their traditional dress.
Learn numbers 1-10 in Japanese, especially, three, five, and seven.
Practice writing three, five, and seven in Japanese and write in Japanese on a piece of
paper with paint.
10. Learn the Japanese childrens song.
11. Work on art project, while listening to traditional Japanese music.
Information:

Girls of age three and seven and boys of age three and five are celebrated on Shichigosan,
and it is prayed for their good health and growth. Shichigosan takes place on November
15. Odd numbers are considered lucky numbers. Long candies in bags that are decorated
with turtles and cranes are given to the children. The candy, the crane, and the turtle, all
symbolize longevity.
Shichi-Go-San is a special day to celebrate three-year-old boys and girls, five-year-old
boys, and seven-year-old girls. Shichi means seven, go means five, and san means three,
so Shichi-Go-San literally means 7-5-3. On November 15th, or the closest weekend,
children dress up in traditional or other fancy clothing and visit neighborhood shrines
with their parents to give thanks for their health and happiness and to pray for continued
health and happiness in the future. Parents also buy chitoseame for their children when
they visit the shrine. Chitose-ame are very long pink-and-white candy sticks, and when
parents buy them for their children, they wish for their lives to be long and sweet, like the
candy. The candy bags are often decorated with cranes and turtles, which are symbols of
good luck, happiness and longevity. The Shichi-Go-San tradition evolved from three
ancient rites of passage. At the age of three, boys and girls stopped getting their heads
shaved and began to grow their hair long; at the age of five boys were allowed to wear
hakama (traditional male kimono pants); and at the age of seven, girls started to tie their
kimono with obi instead of string.

PRONUNCIATION GUIDE:
Shichi-Go-San:
She-chee-go-sa-n
Chitose-ame:
Chee-toe-say-ah-may
Hakama: Ha-kah-mah
Kimono: Key-moe-no
Obi: Oh-bee

Show children the map of Japan. Discuss its location, landforms, flag, and point out the capital
and where its location is on the map of Japan.

TIME: 20 minutes
MATERIALS:
Candy bag activity sheet
Markers, crayons or
colored pencils
Scissors
Scotch tape or glue
Make Your Own Chitose-ame Bag
1. Color the bag.
2. Color the handle redred is a lucky color in Japan, and these handles are
always red.
3. Cut out the bag and handle.
4. Fold the bag along the dotted lines.
5. Tape the back and the bottom of the bag.
6. Tape the handle to the top of the bag.
On Shichi-Go-San, parents would buy chitoseame (1000-year candy)long pink-andwhitecandy sticks for their children. They wish for their childrens lives to be long and sweet,
like the candy. The candy bags are often decorated with cranes and turtles, which are symbols of
good luck, happiness and longevity.
Show students images of children in Japan dressed up.

Brimming with ancient traditions, exotic decorations, and delicious, seasonal foods, Japanese
Celebrations will take you on a month-by-month tour of some of Japan's best-loved festivals.
Beautifully illustrated and full of fascinating facts about Japanese holidays and celebrations, this
48-page picture book offers a vivid picture of some of Japan's most festive events including New
Year's, Children's Day, Cherry Blossom Season, Harvest Moon Viewing, Christmas in Japan and
many more.
Procedure: For Numbers
1. Discuss s the numbers.
2. Have students point out what number are the numbers of the Holiday.
3. Have black paint and paint brushes ready for students to use.
Have students practice writing the three numbers in Japanese.
4. When they feel comfortable have them make an official copy on nice white paper.
5. Let them dry.

Common Core State Standards: CCSS

Key Ideas and Details
1. Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to
the text as the basis for the answers.
2. Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support
the main idea.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
7. Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a
text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key
events occur).