Japan Photo of the Week: Sendai Tanabata
Sorry for the late post this week, I was up in Aomori Prefecture for Nebuta Matsuri (more on that next week) and didn’t get a chance to post before I left. Anyway, today is the start of Sendai’s Tanabata Matsuri, one of Tohoku’s 3 biggest summer festivals. Tanabata is a festival that celebrates the one time of the year when two separated lovers can meet, the 7th day of the 7th month.
Wait a minute, August is the 8th month not 7th. Well, Tanabata is actually celebrated all over Japan, usually July 7th, but Sendai celebrates a month later than the rest of Japan, from August 6th until the 8th. This tradition started shortly after World War I, when Tanabata had virtually disappeared in Sendai and was apparently restarted by some volunteers. If you are interested in reading more about the story of Tanabata and want to see more photos check out the Japan Photo Guide.
This photograph was taken by Evan Pike. If you would like to see more or buy this photograph, check out the gallery.
