festival

[Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture] Introducing the latest information and history of the 2022 Sendai Tanabata Festival! Explaining the highlights of the day

A famous event in Sendai City, Miyagi PrefectureSendai Tanabata Festival" There may be some people who have heard of the event, but have never been there

So, in this article, we'll introduce the latest information on the 2022 Sendai Tanabata Festival and the history of how the Tanabata Festival became famous in Sendai. We'll also explain the things you can't miss on the day, so if you're considering attending the festival, please refer to this article

What is the Sendai Tanabata Festival?

Sendai Tanabata Festival400 years of historyIt is a traditional festival in Sendai that boasts over 2 million visitors every year

The festival lasts for three days, and the glittering Tanabata decorations, mainly in the area in front of Sendai Station, welcome tourists and are the main attraction

The eve of the festival, in which over 10,000 fireworks are launched, is also a major event for locals

Basic information and access for Sendai Tanabata 2022

<Schedule>

  • Eve of the festival: Friday, August 5th, 7:15pm to 8:15pm
  • Festival Day: August 6th (Sat) to August 8th (Mon) 10:00-22:00

<Access>

  • Train: Nearest station: JR Sendai Station, Subway Sendai Station, etc
  • By car: Approximately 15 minutes from Miyagi IC on the Tohoku Expressway
  • Airport: 25 minutes to JR Sendai Station by Sendai Airport Access Railway (17 minutes by rapid train)

The charms and highlights of Sendai Tanabata

The pre-festival, where 16,000 fireworks are launched, is just as popular as the Sendai Tanabata Festival itself. This year, there will be restrictions to prevent the spread of infection, such as the cancellation of food stalls, but the festival will be held with spectators for the first time in three years

This year, both free and paid seating will be available, and there will be a limit on the number of people allowed in the free seats, so if you want to watch the fireworks, it's a good idea to decide on a spot in advance

For detailed information on seating locations, opening times, and capacity limits, please visit the official Sendai Tanabata Fireworks Festival website

Important points to note on the day of the Sendai Tanabata Festival

Here are some tips to help you enjoy the Tanabata Festival even more

Beautiful bamboo decorations

Above all, it is worth notingGorgeous bamboo decorationsBamboo is cut from the mountains in the early morning of August 4th, and decorated bamboo is set up in the arcade that stretches out in front of Sendai Station in the early morning of the 6th

The decorations that each store and business puts effort into are all unique. The shopping street that stretches for about 1.7 km from the station is bustling with people. Just walking to the end of the arcade where the shopping street is located is fun enough, but knowing the differences in the decorations on Chuo Dori and Ichibancho Dori will double the fun

On Chuo Street, the bamboo is displayed in a straight horizontal line, creating a striking effect, while on Ichibancho Street, a single bamboo is displayed standing upright from a manhole, its angled shape adding a touch of elegance

Another highlight is that you can see bamboo decorations in shopping streets other than the arcade. One particularly recommended spot for sightseeing is the Sendai Morning Market Shopping Street. The market, where fresh ingredients such as fish, vegetables, and meat are sold, is also decorated for three days only

The combination of the vibrant Sendai Morning Market and the beautiful Tanabata decorations is a rare event that can only be seen for three days a year

Seven decorations filled with wishes

Another point to check isSeven Decorations". At Sendai Tanabata, "Paper strips, paper clothing, folded cranes, purses, cast nets, wastebaskets, and streamersSeven types of " will be displayed

For example, while it is now customary to hang strips of paper with wishes written on them, originally they were decorations for writing waka poems and praying for progress in academics and calligraphy. There are also seven other types of decorations, each with a different meaning, such as for family safety, business prosperity, and protection from epidemics, and they are shaped according to their meanings

The official website of the Sendai Tanabata Festival lists the seven meanings and instructions on how to make them, so it's recommended that you make them with your children.

The History of Sendai Tanabata

This is an introduction to the history of the Tanabata Festival and Sendai Tanabata. It's packed with answers to simple questions like, "Why is it held in August

The origin of Tanabata

Tanabata originally began in ancient China. It was introduced to Japan around the Nara period and became a court event. It then spread to the samurai class and the general public, and eventually became established as the basic form of Tanabata decorations, consisting of bamboo, strips of paper, colored paper, and streamers

The origin of the Sendai Tanabata Festival

The Tanabata Festival spread to Sendai whenDate Masamune, founder of the Sendai domainIt is said that the origin of this tradition is that during the Edo period, teachers encouraged this to improve the culture of their children

Furthermore, although the current Sendai Tanabata Festival is a tourist event, it was originally an event to welcome the rice field god. Sendai has long been plagued by periodic cold weather damage, with 250,000 deaths in 1783 and 300,000 deaths in 1837

Since food shortages were a major issue that directly led to death, Tanabata also included prayers for good harvests and protection

The history of the decline and revival of the Sendai Tanabata Festival

Sendai Tanabata was a festival filled with people's prayers, but it declined during the period from the Meiji Restoration to World War I

In 1927, the merchants of Sendai tried to break this trend. They revived the colorful Tanabata decorations to ward off the recession. Then, the following year, in 1928,Originally held on July 7th of the lunar calendar, the event was changed to three days from August 6th to 8th, one month later in the Gregorian calendarA decoration competition was also held to liven up Sendai

However, with the start of World War II, Sendai Tanabata once again went on a path of shrinking. Sendai also suffered extensive damage from air raids, but after the war ended in 1946, 52 bamboo decorations were erected in the ruins of Ichibancho Street. From then on, Sendai Tanabata changed from a shopping district promotion event to a tourist event, and has been passed down to the present day

Enjoy the historic Sendai Tanabata Festival!

This time, we introduced the outline, highlights, and history of the Sendai Tanabata Festival in 2022. The Sendai Tanabata Festival, which is filled with people's wishes, has been held for over 400 years and continues to delight the hearts of those who see it today

If you learn about the history and meaning of the decorations before viewing them, you may discover something different. Be sure to visit the Sendai Tanabata Festival in 2022 and discover your own unique charm

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