Planning Omiyamairi, Shichi-Go-San and Family Photos All in One Day

Good morning, it’s まさきん.

Our youngest’s Omiyamairi and one of the older kids’ Shichi-Go-San ended up falling in the same season. Since that was the case, we decided to fit both, plus a photo shoot, into a single day. The day itself is still ahead of us, but I want to leave notes from the planning stage.

Omiyamairi is a baby’s first shrine visit, where you report the birth to the local guardian deity and pray for healthy growth. Shichi-Go-San (“seven-five-three”) is a shrine visit to celebrate children at ages three, five and seven. When I looked into them, there turned out to be more to check than I expected, from timing to the offering fee to outfits. I hope this helps other families whose events are likely to overlap.

*This information is current as of publication. Please check the official websites for the latest details. Rules differ by shrine and studio, so confirming directly with each is the surest way.

Days when the whole family is free are rare to begin with

With four kids, both weekdays and weekends tend to fill up. There are lessons, cram school, doctor visits and more. Days when everyone was free came to only a few a month, if that.

What caught my eye was an elementary school make-up holiday (a weekday off given in exchange for a school event held on a weekend). The older kids have no school that day, and I decided to take the day off too. A weekday when all four kids are available may only come around a few times a year.

On a weekday, the studio and shrine may be quieter than on a weekend. That said, we will not know until we go. I am thinking of it as “it would be nice if we can avoid the crowds,” nothing more.

In our case, splitting the events across different days would mean lining up everyone’s schedule again each time. Rather than doing that over and over, putting everything into one day felt more realistic.

Typical timing for Omiyamairi and Shichi-Go-San

First, I looked up the “traditional timing” for each event again. The bottom line is that both seem to be quite flexible today.

Omiyamairi: around one month after birth

Omiyamairi is the event where you report a baby’s birth to the local guardian deity. It is generally said to be around the 31st day after birth for boys. For girls, some say the 32nd or 33rd day, and it varies a little depending on the source.

The day of birth is generally counted as day one. There are regional differences too: in Kyoto it is around day 30, and in cold regions some families wait until the weather warms up.

A shrine’s explanation also said it is fine to go at any time nowadays. The idea is that the health of the baby and mother, the weather and the family’s schedule can come first. Some families apparently combine it with Okuizome (the “first meal” ceremony) at around three months.

Shichi-Go-San: ages 3, 5 and 7

Shichi-Go-San is generally celebrated for boys at ages 3 and 5, and for girls at ages 3 and 7. Either the traditional Japanese age count (where a baby is one at birth) or actual age is considered fine. Many families seem to celebrate siblings together to match their ages.

The traditional date is November 15. However, shrines tend to be extremely crowded around then. Many families now seem to visit anytime from September to early December.

We planned on the assumption of “shifting the timing”

The traditional day for Omiyamairi and the traditional day for Shichi-Go-San obviously do not line up. So we looked for a day on the assumption that one of them would be shifted a little.

From what I found, many explanations said both events can be flexible on timing. I do not think it is a big problem to prioritize a day when the whole family can gather.

Typical timing and costs for each event

Here is a table of what I found. The costs are only general estimates and vary by region, shrine and studio.

We could have included the 100th-day celebration too. But we decided to hold Okuizome separately as originally planned. We felt that packing too much into one day would be too hard on the baby.

The day’s flow: “photo shoot, lunch, shrine visit”

I went back and forth on the order a bit, but we put the photo shoot first. Many families probably do the shrine visit first, so this may come down to preference.

Timetable

For now, this is the flow I have in mind. All times are planned and will likely shift depending on how the day goes.

Why we put the photo shoot first

There are two reasons. One is that I wanted the photos taken before outfits and hair got messy. With four kids, I feel like someone will be looking rumpled by the afternoon.

The other is the baby’s mood. From our experience, the baby’s mood is easier to read in the morning. Photo shoots involve waiting too, so I wanted it in the time slot when the baby’s mood is more predictable.

The shrine visit is fine even after changing clothes, so we moved it to the afternoon.

Leaving a 90-minute buffer

We left about an hour and a half between the end of the shoot and the start of the prayers. On top of travel and lunch, there is feeding and diaper changes. I felt that if this part was too tight, everything would start slipping.

I have heard studio shoots sometimes run longer than planned. So I worked backward to set the prayer time with that buffer included.

What I watched out for when booking

When I put the plan together, there were a few things to be careful about with bookings.

Booking the photo studio

We booked a studio near the station. When booking, I told them up front that we wanted to shoot Omiyamairi and Shichi-Go-San at the same time. Whether they can photograph the baby together with the siblings may differ by studio.

Pricing also varies by studio. At some large children’s photo studio chains, for example, you pay the session fee and the product fees separately. In that case, the session fee is charged once even if you photograph siblings together, and the total goes up only with the photos and products you choose.

Some studios seem to offer weekday perks. But not all studios have them. It may be worth asking about weekday perks when you book.

Booking prayers at the shrine

Our plan is to book the shrine prayers by phone. Many large shrines do not require bookings. On the other hand, some shrines do.

If a booking is required, doing it one to two weeks in advance is said to be safe. By phone, you can also ask whether they can do Omiyamairi and Shichi-Go-San in the same slot. I also plan to confirm the offering fee amount and how siblings are handled then.

Sorting out other plans

Other plans on the same day are easy to overlook. This time, one of the kids had a doctor appointment, so we moved it to another day. For lessons, we will decide on the day depending on how things go.

I find it harder to miss things when the family’s plans are all in one calendar. I wrote about how we add our plans in my system for adding family events to Google Calendar with AI.

You take lots of photos and videos on event days, so your phone data and storage also come to mind. This could be a good chance to review the whole family’s phone bills together.

Typical offering fees and how to write the envelope

When you receive prayers, you pay an offering fee. I also looked into how much to pay and how to wrap it.

How much to pay

For both Omiyamairi and Shichi-Go-San, the offering fee is said to be about 5,000 to 10,000 yen. Some shrines set a fixed amount, while others say “whatever you wish to offer.” At some shrines, the items you receive in return are said to change depending on the amount.

When siblings receive Shichi-Go-San prayers together, the basic rule is to pay one fee per child. Some shrines apparently give a discount from the second child. Since we are doing Omiyamairi and Shichi-Go-San at the same time, I will confirm the total when I call to book.

How to write the noshi envelope

Use a noshi-bukuro (a formal gift envelope) with a red-and-white mizuhiki cord tied in a bow. The bow knot is used for celebrations that are welcome to happen again and again. If you do not have a noshi envelope, a plain white envelope is also said to be fine.

On the front, write “Hatsuhoryo” or “Go-Hatsuhoryo” in the upper section. In the lower section, write the full name of the child receiving the prayers. If siblings are together, it seems fine to write both names on one envelope.

On the inner envelope, write the amount on the front and your address and name on the back. It is customary to use crisp new bills if possible, placed so the portrait faces up. Hand it over at reception still in the noshi envelope.

Thinking about outfits

When Omiyamairi and Shichi-Go-San fall on the same day, coordinating the whole family’s outfits gets a little tricky. From what I found, the basic idea is to keep the whole family at the same level of formality.

The baby

Formally, the baby wears traditional Japanese dress: a white habutae silk undergarment with a celebratory kimono (iwaigi) draped over it. The iwaigi is draped over the person holding the baby and tied at their back. For Western-style dress, a ceremony gown also seems to be a popular choice.

Mom and Dad

For mothers, a kimono such as a homongi (semi-formal visiting kimono) or a ceremony suit or dress is typical. If there is feeding and carrying involved, many families seem to choose easy-to-move-in Western clothes. For fathers, a dark suit is said to keep the overall look balanced.

Considering feeding time, we plan to put ease of movement first.

Siblings

The child celebrating Shichi-Go-San wears an outfit suited to their age. The other siblings should wear something neat, such as a shirt, jacket or dress.

Whether to change clothes between the shoot and the shrine visit also depends on how the studio handles its costumes. I am counting the time for changing clothes as part of the afternoon buffer.

Taking photos for the grandparents who live far away on the same day

This time, both sets of grandparents live far away and will not attend. So we decided to take the photos to send them on the same day.

After the shoot, we plan to select the images and make a photo book for each set of grandparents. Production takes 2 to 3 weeks, so it may be wise to decide the order date by working backward from the shoot date.

Meanwhile, we decided to send the birth thank-you gifts (uchiiwai, return gifts for the celebration gifts we received) first, without waiting for the photos. We also plan to include a letter to each side of the family. We felt that waiting for the photos would make the thank-you gifts far too late.

I have summarized the money-related programs around childbirth in the childbirth and childcare benefits I got to know with the birth of our fourth child.

Pros and cautions of doing it all on one day

Putting the plan together, the pros and cautions became clear.

Pros

• You only have to line up everyone’s schedule once
• Costumes, kimono dressing and hair styling can be arranged together
• The studio session fee may only be charged once
• You can keep photos of all the siblings together to send to the grandparents

Cautions

• It is a long day, and I worry about the stamina of the baby and the little ones
• If the shoot runs long, the whole afternoon shifts
• If you do not decide which event is the main one, outfits can easily end up mismatched
• Getting around is hard if the weather turns bad

In our case, the biggest worry is the kids’ stamina. So we are taking a longer midday break and deciding about lessons on the day.

Which families this suits and which it does not

I think doing everything on the same day suits families like these.

• Many siblings and few days when everyone is free
• Grandparents who live far away, with the plan of sending photos
• A photo studio and shrine that are close to each other

On the other hand, if the baby’s health is not stable yet, there is no need to force it all into one day. If grandparents will attend, you also need to fit both sides’ schedules. In that case, splitting the events may be easier to arrange.

What to bring on the day and preparing for rain

We will be out all day with a baby, so I wrote out a packing list in advance.

• Offering fee (new bills in a noshi envelope)
• Diapers, wipes and a full change of clothes
• Nursing cover and formula set
• Gauze and bibs (to keep the iwaigi clean)
• Change of clothes and snacks for the older kids
• Plastic bags and an insulated cooler bag
• Maternal and Child Health Handbook and health insurance cards
• Phone charger and mobile battery

I am also thinking about rain. Wet iwaigi or kimono would be a problem, so I plan to pack a large umbrella and extra towels. For travel, I will look for a route that stays under cover as much as possible.

Outdoor photos get difficult in the rain. Since our main shoot is in a studio, I think the weather will have relatively little impact.

What to check before you start

If you are planning to put everything into one day too, it is reassuring to check these points first.

FAQ

Q. Is it OK to do Omiyamairi and Shichi-Go-San on the same day?

It is said to be fine. Today, the common view for both events is that you can shift the timing to suit your family. If you are worried, asking the shrine when you call to book should put your mind at ease.

Q. Can I put all the offering fees in one envelope?

It seems to depend on the shrine. When siblings receive Shichi-Go-San prayers together, writing both names on one envelope is said to be fine. When receiving both Omiyamairi and Shichi-Go-San, checking with the shrine in advance is the surest way.

Q. Should the photo shoot or the shrine visit come first?

I do not think there is a rule. We put the shoot first, considering outfits, hair and the baby’s mood. Some families do the shrine visit first and take photos once things have settled down.

Q. Should Shichi-Go-San follow the traditional age count or actual age?

Either is said to be fine. Many families decide based on the siblings’ ages or on how their children are growing.

Q. Are there benefits to doing it on a weekday?

It may be less crowded than on weekends. Some studios also seem to offer weekday perks. But since work and school need to be arranged, I think weekdays when the whole family can be off are limited.

Q. If the grandparents are not attending, how do we share the photos?

We plan to make a photo book for each set of grandparents. Production takes 2 to 3 weeks, so we plan to order early. If you send the images as data, using cloud storage could be one option. I wrote about the cloud storage available to Rakuten Mobile subscribers in this article.

Official sources I referred to

• How to choose the date for Omiyamairi (Santai Shrine)
• How to write the offering fee envelope (Santai Shrine)
• When and at what age to do Shichi-Go-San (Minatogawa Shrine, Nanko Kaikan)
• About the pricing system (Studio Alice)

Summary

Putting family events into one day takes a bit more preparation. But I feel it is far more realistic than lining up everyone’s schedule again and again.

The key was locking in a day when everyone could be off first. After that, it is just a matter of lining up the shoot, lunch and shrine visit with some buffer in between. I do not know yet how the day will go, but having the plan in place early has taken a bit of weight off my mind.

If your family’s events are likely to overlap, why not think about a plan to put them on the same day?

Reviewing your family’s phone bills along with the event prep might also take a little weight off your mind.

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