七夕(Tanabata)

In Japan, Tanabata is celebrated on July 7 (the 7th day of the 7th month) in the Gregorian calendar. Some regions celebrate it on August 7 based on the lunar calendar. The Sendai Tanabata Festival (August 6-8) is one of the most famous.

Tanabata (Star Festival) is a Japanese celebration based on the legend of two celestial lovers, Orihime (the Weaving Princess, represented by the star Vega) and Hikoboshi (the Cowherd Star, Altair), who are separated by the Milky Way and allowed to meet only once a year on this night.

Tanabata is a Japanese festival, though it shares the same legend as China's Qixi Festival and Korea's Chilseok. It is celebrated throughout Japan and by Japanese communities abroad. The most famous Tanabata festivals are held in Sendai, Hiratsuka, and Asagaya.

Tanabata is not a national public holiday in Japan. Schools and businesses remain open. However, it is widely celebrated across Japan with local festivals, decorations, and events.

Tanabata traditions include writing wishes on colorful strips of paper (tanzaku) and hanging them on bamboo branches along with other decorations, attending local street festivals with colorful streamers and lanterns, and wearing yukata (light summer kimono). Bamboo decorations with tanzaku are displayed in homes, schools, and shopping districts.