七夕, Tanabata, is also known as the Star Festival. According to ancient Chinese legend, it’s when two stars (Altair and Vega), representing a pair of celestial lovers, are able to meet in the night sky.
The two largest festivals are in Sendai and Tokyo. July and August are the months that Tanabata (the Star Festival) is celebrated. Traditionally it was held on the 7th day of the 7th month of the lunar calendar. After Japan switched over to the Gregorian calendar, the month numbers switched by about a month compared to where they previously fell with the season. Some areas, such as Tokyo and Yokohama, decided to celebrate in the 7th month on the new calendar. Some, like Sendai, chose the 8th month (that was closer to the time of year when the event was celebrated on the old calendar.)
Paper streamer decorations line the streets. Each is handmade. Some decorations are handwritten wishes hung on trees or bamboo stems.
While hubs and I haven’t had a chance to attend one of these festivals yet, we did get to visit the Tanabata Museum in Sendai. It’s a small, out-of-the-way, free museum that’s totally worth a taxi ride to visit. Inside, you go around the building and see different eras and styles of decorations and can read how the festival started and evolved over the years. I loved getting to walk through the decorations to get the feel of the festival.
I hope you enjoyed this taste of the Star Festival. Perhaps some day we can all attend. What would you wish for?
Want to learn more or get a better feel for what the festival is like?