In Pictures: Dogs donning kimonos, receiving blessings in place of children in ageing Japan
A traditional ceremony for children is catching on among pet owners in Japan, where dogs and cats are receiving ever more attention amid the nation’s plummeting birth rates.
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A pet dog has its picture taken by its owner during a Shichi-Go-San blessing, traditionally performed for young children to ask for health and happiness, at Zama Shrine in Zama, Kanagawa Prefecture, near Tokyo, Japan, on Nov 14, 2023.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Pet owners praying with their pet dogs as they arrive for a Shichi-Go-San blessing, traditionally performed for young children to ask for health and happiness, at Zama Shrine in Zama, Kanagawa Prefecture, near Tokyo, Japan, on Nov 14, 2023.
PHOTO: REUTERS
A pet dog arriving with its owner for a Shichi-Go-San blessing, traditionally performed for young children to ask for health and happiness, at Zama Shrine in Zama, Kanagawa Prefecture, near Tokyo, Japan, on Nov 14, 2023.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Pet owners gesturing to their pet dogs while taking photos of them during a Shichi-Go-San blessing, traditionally performed for young children to ask for health and happiness, at Zama Shrine in Zama, Kanagawa Prefecture, near Tokyo, Japan, on Nov 14, 2023.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Pet owners leaving with their pet dogs after a Shichi-Go-San blessing, traditionally performed for young children to ask for health and happiness, at Zama Shrine in Zama, Kanagawa Prefecture, near Tokyo, Japan, on Nov 14, 2023.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Shinto priest Yoshinori Hiraga conducting a prayer for pet dogs during a Shichi-Go-San blessing, traditionally performed for young children to ask for health and happiness, at the Inuneko Shrine, part of a larger Shinto site Zama Shrine in Zama, Kanagawa Prefecture, near Tokyo, Japan, on Nov 14, 2023.
PHOTO: REUTERS
A pet dog has its picture taken by its owner during a Shichi-Go-San blessing, traditionally performed for young children to ask for health and happiness, at Zama Shrine in Zama, Kanagawa Prefecture, near Tokyo, Japan, on Nov 14, 2023.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Pet owners taking photos of their pet dogs during a Shichi-Go-San blessing, traditionally performed for young children to ask for health and happiness, at Zama Shrine in Zama, Kanagawa Prefecture, near Tokyo, Japan, on Nov 14, 2023.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Shinto priest Yoshinori Hiraga conducting a prayer for pet dogs during a Shichi-Go-San blessing, traditionally performed for young children to ask for health and happiness, at the Inuneko Shrine, part of a larger Shinto site Zama Shrine in Zama, Kanagawa Prefecture, near Tokyo, Japan, on Nov 14, 2023.
PHOTO: REUTERS
A girl attending a Shichi-Go-San blessing, traditionally performed for young children to ask for health and happiness, walks past pet dogs posing to their owners at Zama Shrine in Zama, Kanagawa Prefecture, near Tokyo, Japan, on Nov 14, 2023.
PHOTO: REUTERS
