In last week’s Megahealth News I have written about my son’s Shichi-go-san, and I think the best photo of the day is this one on the left. Holding hands with Grand-dad and looking at each other with big smiles on their faces. This child has resembled his grand-dad’s childhood since he was a baby, and their personalities are so similar that I sense a strong bond between them that transcends the boundaries of grandfather and grandson.

　The ceremony-kimono my son is wearing in this Shichi-go-san was Hitotsumi (one-piece) celebratory kimono that his grand father had custom-made for him by kimono craftsman in Kyoto when he was born (See “Birth of the First Child and a record of trying my best in child-raising!” and “Celebration-robe and the Presentment of the New Era”) and retailored for him to wear at the age of three. In fact, there is a picture of Otomo no Tabito hidden inside of the hakama, so it is a very meaningful kimono for our family with our ancestors on our backs to protect us.

　For this Shichi-go-san, I had the long undergarment dyed and tailored from pure silk, and the color happened to be the same as the color of Grand-dad’s tie on the day of the event! Of course, Grand-dad had arranged for the complete set for his grandson but did not know the colors, but the result was an inevitable coordination of the two, drawn together by the bond between the two.