Sendai Tanabata Festival

What Is the Sendai Tanabata Festival?

Held every year from August 6th to 8th in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, the Sendai Tanabata Festival is one of Japan's "Three Great Tanabata Festivals," alongside the Shonan Hiratsuka Tanabata Festival in Kanagawa Prefecture and the Anjo Tanabata Festival in Aichi Prefecture -- a signature summer festival of the Tohoku region.

Why Is It Held in August?

Tanabata was traditionally observed on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month, but the Sendai Tanabata Festival follows a "middle calendar" that adds roughly a month to the modern calendar to better match the season, holding the festival over three days from August 6th to 8th.

Date Masamune and the History of Sendai Tanabata

The origins of the Sendai Tanabata Festival are said to trace back to the era of Date Masamune, the founding lord of the Sendai domain.

• Its origins: "Kikoden," a ritual wishing for skill in needlework in honor of the weaver princess Orihime, reached Japan in the Nara period and spread nationwide during the Edo period as one of the five seasonal festivals
• Masamune's connection: Date Masamune is said to have encouraged Tanabata observances to promote "the arts and skills of young women," and is confirmed to have composed eight waka poems on the theme of Tanabata
• Its history: carried forward to this day as a signature traditional event of the Tohoku region, with over 400 years of history

Festival Highlights

The Sendai Tanabata Festival's defining feature is the enormous, colorful "Tanabata decorations" hung along shopping arcades and streets. Elaborate streamers and paper strips (tanzaku) transform the city of Sendai into a vibrant spectacle.

Tips for Marking This Day

• Visit Sendai in person to see the beauty of the Tanabata decorations up close
• Learn about the legend of Orihime and Hikoboshi behind Tanabata
• Compare it with Japan's other two great Tanabata festivals, in Hiratsuka and Anjo
• Write a wish on a tanzaku strip and enjoy the Tanabata custom yourself

Tohoku's Summer Color, Carried Forward Across 400 Years

The wish that Date Masamune once encouraged continues, more than 400 years later, to color the streets of Sendai in vibrant Tanabata decorations. The three days beginning August 6th offer a chance to experience the traditional beauty that symbolizes summer in the Tohoku region.