七夕 Tanabata Festival In Hakata

Tanabata Festival In Hakata

Tanabata is the Weaver Star Festival, which occurs on July 7. The Chinese legend, which has it that Altair(the Cowherd Star) and Vega(the Weaver Star) were split apart by the two banks of the River of Heaven(the Milky Way) and come together once a year on this night, has aligned with Japanese belief. Originally a festival carried out among the Court nobility, it has since the Edo Era(1603-1867) become established among the people at large.

On the night of the 6th, people write their wishes or poems on strips of poetry paper in various color. And hung them on leafy bamboo; then on the night of the 7th, they are put out in the garden. These are attractive enough to be called summer Christmas trees. In recent years, cities like Sendai and Hiratsuka attract sightseers by decorating their shopping street arcades with these tanabata decorations on a large-scale. And In Hakata, Kami-kawabata Arcade has the similar decorations from July 20 to August 20.

博多上川端商店街に、山笠の追い山が終わった7月20日ぐらいから8月20日ごろまで仙台などで見られる美しい七夕飾りがアーケードの中に飾られています。