Kimono

A child’s visit first to a Shinto shrine, about 30 days after birth, marked an important rite of passage when parents would thank the gods and a priest would pray for the baby’s health and happiness. Infant boys would wear kimono with motifs symbolic of achievement and strength. In the 1930s, traditional samurai images were replaced by contemporary nationalistic ones. This garment features a striking design of battleships which would have symbolically wrapped the young child in wishes for both his own, and the nation’s, future.