By MOOK Scenic Spots Travel Life Network, Reported by Chen Guanxin | Provided by Moleskine Editorial Department
As lunar July approaches, traditional folk festivals not only honor ancestors but also welcome China’s annual Valentine’s Day—Tanabata (the Star Festival). Though Tanabata originated in China, Sendai City in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, has hosted its own grand "Sendai Tanabata Matsuri" for 700 years. Now one of the Tohoku region’s four major festivals, it attracts over a million domestic and international visitors yearly. This year’s Sendai Tanabata Matsuri is scheduled for August 6–8. Celebrations will feature massive green bamboo poles and vibrant paper decorations hung across Sendai Station and Ichibancho Shopping Street. On the evening before the festival, August 5 from 19:00 to 20:30, the "Sendai Tanabata Fireworks Festival" will light up Sendai Nishipark with 16,000 fireworks. Locals will don summer yukatas to join the festivities. Visitors who love Japanese festivals can experience the thrill of rubbing shoulders with 2–3 million people at this traditional Japanese street fair.
The gorgeous, colorful paper decorations of the Tanabata Matsuri add even more vibrancy to the summer celebration. (Photo provided by Moleskine Editorial Department)
Each year during the Sendai Tanabata Matsuri, around 3,000 green bamboo poles are erected along Sendai Station and major shopping streets in the city’s Aoba District, such as Chuo-dori and Ichibancho-dori. These poles are adorned with stunning, handcrafted paper decorations in vivid colors. Created with great care and time by local businesses, the decorations feature ornate paper spheres at the top and long, flowing paper streamers below, adding lively energy to the streets. For three consecutive evenings, performances including dances and music by about 2,000 participants from dozens of groups are held along the famous Jozenji-dori Street, bringing dynamic excitement to the festival.
Children in yukatas join their families at the Tanabata Matsuri. (Photo provided by Moleskine Editorial Department)
Additionally, the Sendai Tanabata Matsuri is the year’s biggest shopping season for local retailers. For those looking to shop ’til they drop, the Ichibancho shopping district in downtown Sendai is a must-visit. The area, encompassing SunMall Ichibancho and Boulevard Ichibancho, is packed with high-end fashion stores, delicious restaurants, and trendy lifestyle shops. It’s not only the busiest shopping street in Sendai but also one of the most vibrant entertainment hubs in the Tohoku region.
Don’t miss Ichibancho for great deals and shopping during the Sendai Tanabata Matsuri. (Photo provided by Moleskine Editorial Department)
The Sendai Tanabata Matsuri is one of the more serene festivals among the Tohoku Four Great Festivals, with a history spanning 700 years. After the Tanabata legend arrived in Japan, it evolved into a courtly tradition centered on the nobility, focused on praying for improved craftsmanship—considered the prototype of today’s Tanabata Matsuri. The giant paper decorations of the festival generally fall into seven styles. First, paper kimono symbolize garments offered to the weaving goddess by Orihime, representing her wish to improve her sewing skills. Paper strips (tanzaku) are used to pray for academic success. The fukinagashi, the star of Tanabata decorations, features five-colored threads symbolizing the weaving goddess’s silk threads. The amikazari (fishing net decoration), made of washi paper, prays for bountiful fishing catches and symbolizes gathering a year’s worth of good fortune. Thousand origami cranes (senbazuru) are folded to wish for longevity for family elders. Chirashi-dako (decoration boxes made of scrap paper) signify cleanliness and frugality. Finally, kuzuhana-kazari (pouch-shaped decorations) represent wealth and encourage saving.
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