Sendai Tanabata

Sendai Tanabata is a summer festival in Sendai, Japan, that transforms the city center with thousands of colorful paper streamers and bamboo decorations. The decorations hang from tall poles along the covered shopping streets and form long, colorful curtains that you can walk through.

The festival goes back to the Edo period, when the regional ruler encouraged the celebration in his territory. After a long pause, it was revived in the 1920s to support local trade.

Colored paper strips fall from bamboo poles almost to the ground and move gently in the wind as visitors walk through the shopping streets. Small groups from the neighborhoods work for weeks on their designs, often combining traditional patterns with modern themes.

The main events take place over three days in early August and focus on the covered shopping arcades near the train station. Many shops stay open later in the evening, and the streets are particularly crowded on weekends.

Unlike in most Japanese cities, the event takes place in August rather than July, fitting it better into the local calendar. Most decorations are taken down after the festival and given to visitors, who can take them home as souvenirs.