Wishing on a Star
Celebrate Tanabata, or the Star Festival, where romance and folklore beautifully blend under the summer sky. Held every July 7th, this enchanting event commemorates the legend of two celestial lovers, Vega and Altair, who meet just once a year across the Milky Way.
Women, in particular, partake in this tradition by writing wishes for love and happiness on colorful strips of paper called tanzaku and hanging them on bamboo trees. Streets buzz with excitement, decorated vibrantly and lit by dazzling fireworks. It’s a time when hopes and dreams are cast upward, as everyone looks to the stars for a bit of celestial favor.