Shichigosan

This book presents a case study of shichigosan, an extremely popular childhood family ritual in contemporary Japan. It is an interesting example of a custom with very ancient roots (going back to the tenth century), that has undergone several transformations during the course of its history, adapting to changing socio-economic and cultural circumstances. Within the study, the ritual unfolds as a shared platform where basic social values, views on children and family life, and individual perceptions emerge, are expressed and moulded at the same time. This book offers a multidisciplinary approach to the study of a ritual practice in the intensely urbanized context of present-day Japan.

Introduction. - Chapter One: The study of ritual in contemporary urban society. - Chapter Two: Consumption and ritual. - Chapter Three: Consumer culture and changes to the ritual calendar in postwar urban Japan. - Chapter Four: Shichigosan: The history of a Japanese childhood rite of passage. - Chapter Five: Business sector, media and religious institutions. - Chapter Six: Constructing the ritual: dress, photographs, actors, and script. - Conclusion: Children, women, and families: Creating a ritual for one and all. - Bibliography.