Pim Khajon
Pim Khajon, originally from Thailand, was a member of the Thai idol group “Sweat16!” before becoming an influencer. She studied abroad at Tohoku University in Sendai and has been spreading the word about Sendai and the Tohoku region. Pim, who loves Sendai, will introduce the highlights of Sendai Tanabata.
About the Sendai Tanabata Festival
The Sendai Tanabata Festival, one of Sendai’s three major festivals, is held every year on August 6th, 7th, and 8th. Sendai Tanabata is one of the summer festivals in Tohoku that has been passed down as a traditional event since the time of DATE Masamune, and over 2 million people visit Sendai every year to enjoy the Tanabata decorations. Thousands of gorgeous Tanabata decorations, some three or four meters long, are set up around the shopping arcades in the center of Sendai.
Highlights of Sendai’s Tanabata
New Tanabata decorations are usually made every year, and decorations begin to be put up at around 8 a.m. on August 6th, with people competing to see who can create the most lavish decorations. A decoration contest is held in each of the six shopping districts, and the gold, silver, and bronze prize winners are announced in the afternoon of August 6th. All of the winning designs are very elaborate. It’s fun to guess which decorations are likely to win and to find your own favorites.
Additionally, Sendai Tanabata decorations typically consist of a combination of seven types of individual ornaments hung from a bamboo pole. These ornaments include paper strips (tanzaku), paper garments (kimono), origami cranes, coin purses, fishing nets, wastebaskets, and streamers, with each carrying its own meaning.
Paper strip: Improvement in academic and calligraphy skills
Kimono: Protection against illness and misfortune, improvement in sewing skills
Origami (folded paper) cranes: Family safety, health, and longevity
Coin purse: Prosperity in business
Fishing net: Good catch, good harvest
Wastebasket: Cleanliness and thrift
Fukinagashi streamer: Improvement in handicrafts, weaving, etc.
Various ways to enjoy Sendai Tanabata
Why not wear a yukata (summer kimono) and enjoy a walk under Tanabata decorations? You can take some photogenic Tanabata photos.
Let’s try making Tanabata washi paper!
The basic rules for Sendai Tanabata decorations are that they must be made using washi (Japanese) paper, they must be gorgeous and luxurious, and new decorations must be made every year.
The bamboo framework of the fukinagashi streamers is usually recycled, but in the past, washi paper that was difficult to recycle as waste paper was often thrown away. In the Sendai Tanabata Washi Project, discarded washi paper is upcycled and made into accessories, folding fans, pens, and more. There are also experience programs, so why not try upcycling Tanabata washi paper?
The Sendai Tanabata Festival only lasts for three days a year, but if you want to see Sendai Tanabata decorations any time of the year, head here.
Aobayama Park Sendai Ryokusaikan Visitor Center
Kanezaki Sasakama-kan「Tanabata Museum」
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