[Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture] Held for the first time in 3 years! I participated in the long-awaited Sendai Tanabata Festival!

I participated in the Sendai Tanabata Festival, which was held over three days from August 6th to 8th, 2022. This time, I will be focusing on the fireworks at the eve of the festival and the Tanabata decorations at the main festival

Sendai Tanabata Fireworks Festival is as lively as usual

According to organizers, the Sendai Tanabata Fireworks Festival, held on August 5th, attracted approximately 450,000 visitors, making it just as lively as it was before COVID-19. I also visited the Omachi Nishi Park area, where the festival is held, around 5 p.m., but the free cherry blossom viewing area was already almost full

Entrance was restricted at around 6pm, showing just how successful the event was. Although there were COVID-19 restrictions, such as a ban on restaurants, it shows just how much people were looking forward to the festival

The fireworks began at exactly 7:15pm. Despite the cloudy weather, beautiful large fireworks floated in the sky

At the climax, weeping willow fireworks are launched one after another

The fireworks display, which had launched 16,000 shots in one hour, came to a close with applause and cheers

Gorgeous Tanabata decorations at the Sendai Tanabata Festival

Not only the fireworks, but the main festival itself was canceled in 2020 due to the spread of COVID-19, and in 2021 it was held with fewer decorations. This year, in 2022, the number of decorations was returned to about 220, about 70% of the number before the COVID-19 pandemic

We will be bringing you highlights from the festival, which was held for the first time in three years

Tanabata decorations on Chuo Street

The Chuo Dori Tanabata Decorations, which stretch for about 800m from Sendai Station, feature four or five decorations strung horizontally on bamboo, with the color combinations and streamers looking different depending on the maker

The long-established stores in the shopping district have prepared decorations that highlight their unique features. For example, Sanmojiya Kimono Store had beautiful indigo-colored decorations, and Kokeshi no Shimanuki had cute decorations made from paper lanterns that turned into kokeshi dolls

As I walked along Chuo Street, I came across a crowd of people, and upon approaching, I discovered a Tanabata decoration made from a large number of folded paper cranes. The work, titled "Wish Upon a Star," was made using approximately 80,000 folded paper cranes by elementary and junior high school students in Sendai as part of a hometown reconstruction project

The view from directly below was spectacular, and the seven decorations, such as a cast net and a drawstring bag, were neatly displayed in the center of the decorations

Tanabata decorations on Ichibancho Street

If you turn right from the origami crane decorations, you will see the Tanabata decorations on Ichibancho Street

On Ichibancho Street, the bamboo is erected and decorated, and the diagonally bent bamboo creates a different beauty from the decorations on Chuo Street

By the way, the reason the bamboo can stand at an angle is not only because it is supported by ropes, but also because it has a special hole. It is usually covered like a manhole, but it is opened for three days during the Tanabata Festival, and bamboo is inserted into the hole

This year, some of the holes were covered up to reduce the scale, and we were able to see the lid decorated with the Tanabata Festival design

In the middle of the arcade, there was a booth where visitors could write their wishes on strips of paper, and they all had fun writing down their wishes

The seven decorations unique to Sendai Tanabata also reflected the makers' personalities, and were all fascinating, ranging from vibrantly colored ones to ones with a texture reminiscent of Japanese paper

For more information on the meaning of the seven decorations, please visit the official Sendai Tanabata Festival website

As a measure to prevent infection, there were several restrictions at this year's festival, such as no eating or drinking on the road, priority being given to driving on the right side of the road, and no eating while walking. Disinfectant spray was also available in the middle of the arcade, and efforts were made to ensure that people could enjoy the festival while also being safe.

Introducing all the Gold Award winning works

At the Sendai Tanabata Festival, decorations are judged and awards are given based on their appeal. This time, we will introduce six works from stores in the arcade shopping district that won gold awards for Tanabata decorations in 2022

Gold Award Winner "Umehara Kagamiten"

Gold Award Winner "Iruma Co., Ltd."

Gold Award Winner "Cecilia Music Academy"

Gold Award Winner "Shiramatsuga Monaka Honpo"

Gold Award Winner "Abe Kamabokoten Co., Ltd."

Gold Award Winner: Taishoen Co., Ltd

Tanabata decorations also appear at Sendai Morning Market

The main attraction of the Sendai Tanabata Festival is the Arcade Street, but each shopping street also puts up its own unique decorations.Even the Sendai Morning Market Shopping Street, which usually serves as the kitchen for the people of Sendai, was decorated

The small Tanabata decorations at eye level were also adorable. The collaboration between the Sendai Morning Market and the Tanabata decorations can only be enjoyed for three days, so it's a rare opportunity

The Sendai Tanabata Festival, held for the first time in three years, was an emotional event

This time we brought you the Sendai Tanabata Fireworks Festival on August 5th and the Sendai Tanabata Festival, which was held over three days from August 6th to 8th

As this was the first time the event had been held in three years, the arcade street was bustling with visitors, not just locals

The glittering Tanabata decorations seemed to shine even brighter after a three-year hiatus. This year's festival has ended, but if you're interested, be sure to check it out next year