1. The Age of Shogun: Japanese History 1600-1868 CHILDHOOD
Oxford Department
for Continuing Education
Dr PM Jolliffe

2. Pregnancy, birth and first year
Special pregnancy obi (sash) in red and white colours, mothers visited Shinto shrines to pray for a good birth;
In rural communities delivery happened in a special birth hut;
An infant was first dressed in simple clothes to avoid “the devil’s attention”;
Infant’s first bath was on the third day after birth, and then again on the seventh day;
Children received their childhood name on the seventh day after birth;
Baby boys’ and girls’ heads are shaved until they are three years old (kamioke)

3. Great Treasures for Women, Onna Chōhō-ki, Edo period

4. Age counting
At the moment of birth, children were considered 1 year old (issai). They turned another sai at the start of each New Year;
When reaching their first New Year (and turning either issai or nissai) children were presented with gender-specific toys;
When a full year was completed, there was a special dish of red rice and rice dumplings;

5. Infanticide (mabiki)
Source: Drixler (2013) Mabiki. Infanticide and Population Growth in Easter Japan, , pp. 27 and 163

6. Shichi-go-san festival 7-5-3
Visit to Shinto shrine to drive out evil spirits and to pray for a healthy life;
Since Edo period in middle of the 11th month;

7. Obitoke in Jesuit records
“Young children up to five or six years of age wear two ribbons sewn on to the front hem of their robe on either side, and they tie them at the back with a bow in place of a sash. When the child reaches this age and is no longer an infant, they ask someone to act as a sort of godfather. He sends the child a silk sash, with which a man is accustomed to gird himself in keeping with his rank. Subsequently the child’s father goes to visit him, accompanied by the child wearing this sash already girded about him with the bow in front, as is the custom to wear it. The godfather also goes to visit them in their house. Sometimes they also ask the godfather to untie with his own hands the babyish ribbons. He unties them, and then girds the boy with the sash he sent him and ties the bow in front” (João Rodrigues, 1620/21 in Cooper 2001, p. 202)

8. Hakamagi

9. Transition to adulthood
For samurai boys the genpuku 元服 (head, wearing) ceremony at around years: boys receive a new haircut, dagger and sword;
Adulthood is about girls’ and boys’ ability to maintain family continuity;
Seventeen was the age when a man was legally allowed to adopt a heir, but he would only become family head when his own father retired or died;

10. Genpuku in Jesuit records
Childhood lasts until the age of thirteen or fifteen years when adolescence begins. When they reach this age, they have the custom of changing their childhood name and adopting a man’s name. They gird themselves with a sword and dagger, and cut the hair of their head a little and make it somewhat shorter, for until this time they have worn their hair long like a woman. When the eldest son of a noble changes his name, it is customary to visit and congratulate him; if he is away, they send around a man with a letter. When a person changes his name, he has a sponsor who gives him the name that he wishes to take. If he leaves the choice to the sponsor, he writes down three names on a paper, and the godson then chooses from them the one he most likes, and the sponsor gives his approval. Or else the godson produces a name that he wants or is common to his family, and the sponsor confirms it as if he himself had given it to him, and he calls him by this name. As a sign of rejoicing, he entertains him with wine and food, and gives his godson something as a gift, or he sends somebody to his house with casks of wine and food. (João Rodrigues, 1620/21 in Cooper 2001, p. 202)

11. Girls’ festival (hina matsuri), 3rd day of 3rd month

12. Boys’ festival, 5th day of 5th month

13. Childrearing: not only a gender issue, but also one of age and status.

14. Children’s participation in the household economy
From the age of 4 – 6, children started to participate in adults’ work activities.

15. Children’s formal education at home: gender and class specific, with regional variations

16. Children’s indentured labour : Kamuro

17. At school

18. Filial piety as a Confucian ideal

19. Children’s amusements

20. Boys playing daimyo procession