Kimono-clad pets blessed at Japan festival lacking enough kids

A Japanese master blessed cats and dogs at a Tokyo shrine on Saturday, as more families brought their beloved pets to an annual festival traditionally dedicated to children.
The 'Shichi-Go-San', meaning 'Seven-Five-Three', celebrates children's growth at the ages of three, five and seven. However, Japan's declining population has seen increasing numbers of pet owners attend the ceremony with their animals.
'I came here to pray for my pet's healthy growth and well-being,' Shoko Kodama, a 46-year-old doctor, told AFP at Ichigaya Kamegaoka Hachimangu shrine.
Kodama had spent two months handcrafting a bright-red kimono for her five-year-old British shorthair cat, Amber.
'This little one is like my child,' she said.
Other owners dressed their pets in colourful kimonos before bringing them into the shrine's inner sanctuary, where priest Kenji Kaji performed a purification rite using a wooden wand decorated with white paper streamers.
Kaji said the changing role of pets reflected shifts in Japanese family structures, with more people welcoming cats and dogs as family members, particularly those without children or whose children have grown up.
His shrine has been welcoming around 400 families to each festival since the early 2000s, reflecting growing demand.
Miyu Shiro, 23, attended with her two Yorkshire terriers, saying celebrating the occasion with them felt natural because they were part of her family.
Japan is facing a deepening demographic crisis, with its fertility rate falling to a record low last year. The country also has one of the world's oldest populations, with a median age of 49.9.
Koichi Ohara, 57, who attended with his wife and three Chihuahuas, said the dogs gave him unconditional love.
'Just like us humans, I hope they can live long and in peace,' he said. -AFP