🧮 Calculators & Daily Life

Shichi-Go-San Year Calculator

Pick your child's birth date and gender to see which years to celebrate Shichi-Go-San — the Japanese 7-5-3 children's festival — in both the traditional kazoedoshi count and by full age, with the child's actual age on November 15 of each year. Everything runs in your browser.

Examples (click to try)
Gender
Pick a birth date to see the Shichi-Go-San years

How to use

Choose a birth date and a gender (Boy / Girl / Both customs). For age 3 (boys & girls), age 5 (boys) and age 7 (girls), the table shows the year to celebrate by kazoedoshi and by full age, side by side, each with the child's actual age on November 15 of that year. If this year is one of them, the message above the table tells you right away.

What is Shichi-Go-San?

Shichi-Go-San (七五三, literally "seven-five-three") is one of Japan's best-loved family traditions: a rite of passage for children aged 3, 5 and 7, held around November 15. Children dress up — girls in colorful kimono, boys in hakama — and visit a Shinto shrine with their families to give thanks for healthy growth and pray for the future. Afterwards they receive chitose-ame, long red-and-white "thousand-year" candies in bags decorated with cranes and turtles, both symbols of longevity. The odd numbers 3, 5 and 7 are considered auspicious in Japan, and each age historically marked a milestone: at 3 children were allowed to grow out their hair, at 5 boys wore hakama for the first time, and at 7 girls exchanged cords for a proper obi sash. Today it is above all a photo occasion — many families book studio shoots months ahead.

Kazoedoshi vs full age

Kazoedoshi (数え年) is the traditional East Asian way of counting age: a baby is 1 at birth and everyone gains a year on New Year's Day. So the kazoedoshi-N year is simply the birth year plus N−1. The full-age year is the year the child has actually turned N by November 15 — note that a child born after November 15 reaches that birthday too late in the year, pushing the full-age celebration one year later. Both counts are accepted today; this tool shows both so you can pick what suits your family.

Example

  • Born May 1, 2023 → kazoedoshi 3 = 2025 (actually 2 on Nov 15), full age 3 = 2026 (3 on Nov 15)
  • Born December 1, 2023 → the full-age-3 celebration is 2027, because on November 15, 2026 the child is still 2
  • Age 5 (boy) born in 2023 → kazoedoshi = 2027, full age = 2028

Related tools

To convert the years to the Japanese era calendar, try the Japanese Era Converter; to check holidays and long weekends around the shrine visit, see Japanese Public Holidays.

FAQ

Is my data sent to a server?
No. Everything runs in your browser; nothing is transmitted or stored externally.
Should we count by kazoedoshi or by full age?
Traditionally by kazoedoshi — the old Japanese count where a baby is 1 at birth and gains a year every New Year's Day — but nowadays many families celebrate by full (Western) age. Either is acceptable; families often pick whichever lets siblings celebrate in the same year.
Which ages celebrate, and when is the shrine visit?
Generally age 3 is for both boys and girls (girls only in some regions), age 5 for boys and age 7 for girls. The formal date is November 15, but most families visit a shrine on a convenient day in October or November.
What is Shichi-Go-San in the first place?
Shichi-Go-San (literally seven-five-three) is a Japanese rite of passage held around November 15, when children aged 3, 5 and 7 dress up — often in kimono — visit a shrine to give thanks for their growth, and receive chitose-ame, long thousand-year candies symbolizing longevity.
Can we celebrate after November 15?
Yes. November 15 is only a guideline, not a strict rule. Many families visit on a nearby weekend, or between September and December to avoid crowds.