Oshichiya: The Seventh-Day Baby Naming Ceremony

See how a written name, a family meal and a seventh-night tradition welcome a newborn in Japan, and how to adapt it at home.

Published October 19, 2026 at 10:32 AM JST | By Tokyo Paul

Quick answer: Oshichiya is a Japanese celebration held on the seventh night after a baby's birth, when the family formally announces the baby's name. The name is written on a paper called a meimeisho and displayed at home, and relatives often share a celebratory meal. Many families today keep it small, simple and informal.

What oshichiya is

Oshichiya combines the words for "seven" (shichi) and "night" (ya), with the polite prefix o. It marks the seventh night after a baby is born, usually counted so that the day of birth is the first day. On this evening the family announces the baby's name to relatives and treats it as a first welcome. The name is written on a paper known as a meimeisho, meaning "naming document".

The custom has old roots, and today the celebration is a happy family occasion. Its details vary by region and by household. It is also known as the meimeishiki, the naming ceremony, in some regions and some families.

A gathering is usually small and held at home. Close relatives, especially the baby's grandparents, may attend, and guests sometimes bring a small gift. The scale is a choice for each family, and a quiet evening with only the parents and baby also counts as an oshichiya.

The meimeisho

The meimeisho is the centerpiece. Traditionally the baby's name is written in brush and ink on a sheet of white paper, often a sturdy handmade or ceremonial paper, and displayed where visitors can see it. A common place is the tokonoma, the decorative alcove of a Japanese-style room. Families without such an alcove may place it on a shelf, a wall or a small stand.

Layouts differ, but a common one puts the word for "naming" at the top or beside the baby's name, with the baby's date of birth and the parents' names written alongside. The father, grandfather or another relative often writes it, though many families now buy a printed or pre-formatted set. Some write it in brush calligraphy at a shop, and others order a decorated version as a keepsake. Keeping the paper after the ceremony is common.

The paper does not need to be expensive. A clean sheet of good-quality paper in a simple frame is enough, and some families later place it in the baby's keepsake box beside the umbilical cord case and the first handprint, if they have them.

The family meal

A celebratory meal usually follows. Traditional menus feature auspicious foods such as sea bream (tai), whose name echoes the word for "celebratory", and red bean rice (sekihan), served for happy occasions. The meal is often small, with the parents, the baby's grandparents and perhaps a few close relatives. The baby is, of course, only an honored guest and does not take part in the menu.

Because the mother is usually still resting, many households simplify the arrangements. Ordering food, accepting help from grandparents or keeping the gathering to a quiet dinner at home are all common. Some families skip the meal and take a photograph with the meimeisho instead. What matters is that the name is spoken and welcomed, and that the people nearest the baby feel included.

How it fits with other milestones

Oshichiya is the first of several early milestones in a baby's life. About a month later comes miyamairi, the first shrine visit. Around the hundred-day mark, many families hold the okuizome, a ceremonial first meal. The baby's first Girls' Day or Boys' Day festival and the first birthday follow. Each has its own food, clothing and ritual, and each is optional.

Many modern families treat the milestones as a loose set of options. They may keep oshichiya small, put more energy into the shrine visit or the hundred-day meal, or choose a single occasion that suits their schedule. Grandparents often play a large role, since these events are a way to share a family's history with the baby.

The sequence is not a checklist. A family that is living abroad, traveling or recovering from a difficult birth can skip any step and still honor the baby's arrival. The shared idea is to say thank you for the child's arrival and to express hopes for healthy growth.

Naming and registration

The ceremonial naming and the official one are separate. In Japan, a child's birth must be reported to a municipal office within 14 days, counting the day of birth, and a name recorded for a Japanese national must use characters approved for names. Parents who live in Japan and are not Japanese nationals should ask the municipal office and their embassy about how the child's name is recorded, since rules differ by nationality.

The meimeisho is purely a family document. It has no legal standing, so a family can write the name in any form it likes. Foreign families sometimes write the name in the Latin alphabet, in katakana or in a mix of scripts, and add a small drawing or the baby's footprint. Check the current rules for official registration with the local office.

Many parents choose names with meanings in mind, and the meimeisho is a nice place to record that meaning in a sentence for the child to read someday. Keeping a second copy in a photo album or a digital folder protects the memory if the original paper fades.

Adapting oshichiya at home

Families outside Japan can adapt the custom with very little effort. On the seventh evening, write the baby's name and date of birth on a nice piece of paper, put it in a frame or on a shelf, and share a family meal. If you like, add a short message, such as the meaning of the name and why the parents chose it. Relatives who cannot attend can join by video.

For those who want to follow the Japanese form more closely, a stationery shop or an online seller can provide white paper and a brush pen. Practice the lettering first on a spare sheet. An older relative with good handwriting is often glad to be asked. A fresh meal featuring red bean rice or a sea bream dish nods to the tradition, though any favorite family dish works.

Common mistakes and related ideas

The most common mistake is to treat oshichiya as a strict deadline. Families who are in hospital, traveling or busy may hold the celebration a few days later, or fold it into another milestone. Another is to feel pressure about brush skills; a neat pen version is perfectly acceptable. A third is to confuse the custom with legal registration, which has its own rules.

Related terms include meimeishiki (naming ceremony), omiyamairi (first shrine visit), okuizome (first meal) and hatsu-zekku (first festival). Practices differ by region and by family, so treat this guide as a general overview and ask relatives about local habits.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is written on a meimeisho?

It usually shows the baby's name in the center, with the word for naming and the date of birth. The parents' names or the baby's position among siblings may be added at the side. Layouts vary, and many families use a printed set with blank spaces.

Is oshichiya required in Japan?

No. It is a traditional family celebration and not a legal requirement. Many families keep it very simple, mark it with a quiet dinner, or combine the naming with another milestone such as the shrine visit or the hundred-day meal.

Can foreign families hold an oshichiya?

Yes. The custom is easy to adapt: write the name and birth date on paper, display it at home and share a meal on the seventh night or another convenient day. The paper can use any script, since it has no legal role.

Want to go deeper? Tokyo Paul's book Japanese Parenting Secrets That Create Calm, Independent Children is available on Amazon.

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More guides from Tokyo Paul: Okuizome: The Hundred-Day First Meal Ceremony, Shussan Iwai: Baby Gifts and Return Gifts in Japan and Celebrating Babies in Japan.