August 2018: Maiko Fumiyuki (Katsufumi Okiya) of Kamishichiken performing at a Tanabata celebration.

The Tanabata festival originates in the Chinese Qixi Festival and celebrates the meeting of the deities and lovers Orihime and Hikoboshi, who are represented by the stars Vega and Altair. According to legend, the Milky Way seperates them, and they are only able to meet once a year on the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar.

Nowadays, Tanabata is usually celebrated by writing wishes of any kind on small pieces of paper called tanzaku, and them hanging them on bamboo trees. These tanzaku and the decorations are often set afloat on rivers or burned the night or day after the festivities end.

The date of the Tanabata celebrations vary by region, but they all take place in July or August and the festival begins on the 7th of July.



Source: H. Ishibashi on Instagram