“Not good,” my father-in-law shook his head disapprovingly before ransacking his wardrobe for a pair of black socks to give me. I meekly took off my green socks and wore his socks instead.

“Not good,” he might have stifled a sigh while looking at my tie. He then reached out and adjusted it to match his standards. I couldn’t help but remark, “But I’m not the main character.”

“Neither am I,” he quipped.

The main character was my three-year-old daughter. Here, her age came into play because we came together as a village to celebrate her Shichi-Go-San. Parenting is typically perceived as a costly endeavour in Singapore, and I half-wondered how many people would balk at the substantial sum we spent on her kimono rental and photo shoot. What’s more, they could not expect to get back much ROI in return.

For better or for worse, this mentality of maximizing financial spending is largely absent from the psyche of devoted Japanese parents (and grandparents). It was not just booking an appointment for the photo shoot, but also securing of professionals to do her makeup and hair. It was the ferrying of involved personnel (including yours truly) to the venue. A huge undertaking for a Japanese nuclear family. Everyone had a role to play.

I have got to admit that few sights are as arresting as your typically feisty daughter appearing so dainty and demure, moving ever so elegantly in her geta footwear. Her makeup and hair and costume were exquisite. I am biased, but it seems that an angel had descended upon earth.

And thus, I experienced how the Japanese commemorated the Ichigo ichie (once in a lifetime) moment, without tightening the purse strings. I guess it was money well spent for a lifetime’s worth of memories.