Dating to the early Edo period, Sendai Tanabata is celebrated a month later than most of Japan (August 6–8) and is renowned for its enormous, meticulously handmade tanzaku streamers — some exceeding 10 metres — fashioned from washi paper and bamboo. The city's covered shopping arcades (chuo and Ichibancho) are transformed into tunnels of swaying colour featuring the traditional seven types of decorations, each carrying a symbolic wish. The festival coincides with a fireworks display on the evening of August 5, and the entire event attracts roughly two million visitors over three days.
- Type
- Festival
- Category
- Matsuri
- Season
- Summer
- Month
- August 6–8
- Region
- Tohoku
- Prefecture
- Miyagi
- City
- Sendai
Highlights
- ◆Thousands of towering handmade washi-paper streamer decorations
- ◆Seven symbolic decoration styles representing different wishes
- ◆Grand fireworks display on the eve of the festival
- ◆Covered arcades make it enjoyable rain or shine
- ◆Free to walk through; regional food stalls throughout