Children of the Sun. William H. Clark

      For over four hundred years all Japanese children who are three, five, or seven years old have been going to the shrine on November 15th to express their gratitude to the gods.

      Little girls receive colorful, new, silk kimonos and wear high, fancy wooden shoes. They have tinkling bells fastened to the heels of their shoes and to the big butterflylike ribbons in their hair.

      Boys wear black or dark-colored outfits that have full, pleated skirts that reach to the ankle. Both boys and girls wear pure white stockings that have the big toe separated for the thong that keeps their wooden sandals on.