With changing demographics, Japan reinvents a children’s holiday for pets

Japanese Shinto shrines are adapting ancient traditions for a modern demographic shift. The '7-5-3' children's festival, a rite of passage, is now embracing pets. Owners are celebrating their furry companions with blessings, custom outfits, and amulets, reflecting Japan's booming pet industry and declining birth rates. This trend offers a vital revenue stream for shrines.