Dates: August 5-8 (Sendai), July 7 (Kanto)

Tanabata is a festival based on the meeting of two stars. The story goes that Orihime was a weaver who wove her tapestries on one bank of the Milky Way.  Hikoboshi was a cow herder who lived on the other bank. The two met and fell in love but both of their work suffered for it.

Orihime’s angry father separated them and forbade them to meet. However, on seeing the despair of his daughter, Orihime’s father gave them permission to cross the river and meet one day per year on the 7th day of the 7th month of the lunisolar calendar.In Japan this festival is held at night and general involves writing wishes on a piece of paper and then tying them to bamboo trees. Similar to Obon, these wishes are often sent out to sea on a bamboo raft and burned.  The festival is celebrated at varying times in different areas of Japan but usually on the 7th of July or 7th of August.