Wishing for your child's healthy growth
Congratulations to all the children and families celebrating Shichi-Go-San. We sincerely pray for your child's healthy growth.
Every year, when we feel autumn with the unique sweet scent of Osmanthus, the number of requests for Shichi-Go-San shoulder-raising and waist-raising increases rapidly. In the first place, ``What are shoulder raises and waist raises? I often get asked this question, so I will give a very simple explanation. Traditions and customs vary depending on the region and family, so the following is for reference only.
What are shoulder and waist raising?
Children's kimonos are made larger with the premise that they will grow. Therefore, in order to wear it according to the child's body shape, it is necessary to raise the shoulders and raise the waist. Raise shoulders = (adjust sleeve length) Raise hips = (adjust body length). It may be easier to understand if you remember the so-called ``tucks'' on the shoulders and waist that are seen on children's yukatas at summer festivals, similar to the Shichi-Go-San costumes. Apart from the practical aspect that you can adjust the dimensions little by little and wear it for a long time according to your child's growth, the shoulder raising and waist raising of Shichi-Go-San also have a great meaning of ``wishing for your child's future growth''.
Shoulder raises are generally required until the age of 13. Not raising your shoulders = it means you don't have to grow any more, which is bad luck, so even if you don't need to adjust the length, it's better to raise your shoulders even by just 1 centimeter. Eliminating ``shoulder raising'' indicates the meaning of becoming an adult, and the turning point is said to be 13 years old. Today's 13-year-olds are in the prime of their lives and are at an age where we hope they will continue to grow, but in the sense that they gradually begin to grow more and more mentally, this age may be considered a turning point in childhood even in modern times. Not really.
When it comes to lifting your hips, whether or not you do it depends on a case-by-case basis, using the example of customers who come to our store. There are some people who always raise their children's hips up until they are 7 to 9 years old when there is a ``ceremony to unravel the cord'' due to local traditions and customs, but most of our customers decide whether or not to raise their shoulders for practical reasons.
For your reference, most of our customers who request 3-year-old children to have their hips raised, and 7-year-olds who are unable to do so at the request of the photo studio or kimono dressing staff, or who have their 7-year-old daughter dressed at home. There are various types of people who want to wear a high waist dress that is easy to wear.
For your reference, I have briefly summarized the advantages and disadvantages of hip raising below.
【merit】
- There are fewer waist straps to tighten, which reduces the time it takes to put on clothes and reduces the burden on children when wearing them.
- It is difficult for the garment to come undone, and even if it does come undone, it is easy to fix.
[Disadvantages]
- It takes time and money to raise your hips.
- Since the waist is sewn up, it is not possible to fine-tune the length when dressing.
Some examples include:
Please check with the person in charge of dressing beforehand regarding waist adjustment.
Please check with the person in charge of dressing you in advance to see if it is necessary to raise your waist. As with adults, the child will be dressed using a waist strap, so in some cases, you may be asked to carry the child without raising the waist. There were some customers who removed the waist lift on the day they wore it even though they wore it with a waist lift, so we would like to reiterate that we ask that you first check with the person in charge of dressing you before coming to the store. Thank you.
Now accepting orders for shoulder and waist adjustments for Shichigosan
Consultations for shoulder and waist lifting are only available on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and are by appointment only.
Please make a reservation and come to the store with the child who will be wearing the costume.
Tuesday and Saturday 13:30-19:00
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https://line.me/R/ti/p/@tso061
~Children's kimono shoulder raising, waist raising, and half-collar attachment fees~
| Shoulder Raise | ￥2,200 (2,000+tax) |
| Raise your hips | ￥3,300 (3,000+tax) |
| Half-collar attachment | ￥2,200 (2,000+tax) |
*If the item is delivered within 4 weeks of the desired delivery date, a 30% expedited fee will be charged in addition to the above.
*Shoulder and waist raising fees are per item.
[Example] When raising the shoulders and waist of three items: kimono, undergarment, and haori.
Shoulder lifting @2200 (+ rush fee) x 3
Waist lift @ 3300 (+ rush fee) x 3
We receive a large number of applications during this period, but since we are a small store, the number of applications we can accept is limited. Please note that the time from receiving the item to handing over the item will depend on how busy we are with work such as repairs, etc., but in some cases we may not be able to accept the item.
There are various theories about the origin of Shichi-Go-San from the Heian period to the Edo period, but which one? At that time, medical care was not as developed as it is now, and the healthy growth of their children was probably an even more urgent wish for parents than it is today. I can feel this in the meaning behind each of the Shichi-Go-San traditions.The spirit of parents who sincerely wish for and celebrate growth as a turning point has not changed since then. It's wonderful that these important customs have been passed down.
In the era when kimono was everyday wear, families would put their wishes into each stitch while adjusting the shoulders and waist. Therefore, I believe many people also adjust their own shoulders and waist. If there are any of you who would like to challenge yourselves to adjust your shoulders and waist but feel uneasy doing it alone, please feel free to inquire about our Wasaikyo Class. We look forward to hearing from you.
