The 2025 edition! Highlights and types of decorations of the Sendai Tanabata Festival, the largest Tanabata Festival in Japan in Miyagi Prefecture.

  • Miyagi
  • Sightseeing
Gorgeous and gorgeous Tanabata decorations (decorations that won the Gold Prize in 2024)
The Sendai Tanabata Festival is a traditional event that has been held since the Edo period (1603-1867), and has become a nationally renowned event since it was promoted by feudal lord Date Masamune. Originally, the Tanabata Festival was held on the seventh day of the seventh month of the seventh lunar month, but the Sendai Tanabata Festival is held from August 6 to 8 of the current calendar year using the "Chu-ryaku" calendar, which is the calendar with one month added to the new calendar year. The following is an explanation of the highlights of the Sendai Tanabata Matsuri and the types of decorations used!
Official poster for the 2025 Sendai Tanabata Festival

Delicate Japanese paper decorations fluttering in the wind

Decorations adorn the streets of Sendai during the Sendai Tanabata Festival, but the details are kept a secret until the day of the festival! The decorations are handmade and prepared months in advance by individual stores, and the decorations are put up from around 8:00 a.m. on August 6, the first day of the festival. The price of one decoration is said to range from several hundred thousand to several million yen. The custom of Sendai Tanabata is to decorate a set of five "blow torches," which are long and thin decorations attached to the bottom of a kusudama ball.

In addition to the decorations, each shopping district will also judge the decorations. The judging will be held on the afternoon of the 6th, and gold, silver, and bronze prizes will be awarded to the decorations. Plates for the gold, silver, and bronze awards will be attached to the base of the decorations, so please pay attention to the base of the decorations as well.
Decorations that won the 2024 Gold Prize
The enemy of Tanabata is rain! When it starts to rain, each store rushes to put away their decorations in plastic bags to prevent them from getting wet. It would be a pity if it should rain, but you may be able to see a precious sight.
Decorations that won the 2024 Gold Prize

The city of Sendai will be decorated with Tanabata decorations for three days from August 6 to 8.

From Sendai Station, Tanabata decorations can be seen along Chuo-dori and Ichibancho-dori arcades, which are crowded with many people during the festival. Taking time to wade through and look at the Tanabata decorations is one of the best parts of the Sendai Tanabata Festival. Once inside the arcade, the blowing streamers of Tanabata decorations sway in the wind, making you forget the summer heat. In addition, there are many other simple and nostalgic Tanabata decorations in the surrounding shopping streets, and enjoying the atmosphere in a relaxed atmosphere is also recommended.
Every detail has been carefully selected.

Explanation of the wishes expressed in the Tanabata decorations!

Many people may think of Tanabata decorations on bamboo branches with strips of paper attached. In the Sendai Tanabata Matsuri, the seven decorations, which include tanzaku strips, are indispensable. They are decorated with wishes for prosperous business, good health, and so on. Each of the seven decorations has its own wish, so you will surely enjoy your visit to Sendai even more after you learn about them.

Seven wishes

Tanzaku (tanzaku): Improvement in studies and calligraphy
Kamigoromo (paper robe): To ward off illness and misfortune, and to improve sewing
Orizuru (paper crane): Domestic safety and longevity
Kinchaku (purse): Business prosperity
Toami (cast net): Good catch and harvest
Kuzukago (waste basket): Cleanliness and thrift
Fukinagashi (blowing stream) (Tanabata Festival) (a decoration with a kusudama, often associated with the Tanabata Festival).......a thread of cloth offered to the weaver.
Colorful and photo-worthy "streamers" (2024 Gold Award winning decoration)

Message from the Sendai Tanabata Festival Office

Sendai Tanabata Festival has been a traditional event since the time of Lord Date Masamune, the founder of the Sendai clan. Today, Sendai Tanabata Festival is famous throughout Japan as one of the summer festivals in Tohoku, combining the elegance of the ancient Japanese star festival with the splendor of the decorations. We look forward to seeing you there.
Decorations made from more than 80,000 origami cranes every year

The excitement starts the day before the festival! Sendai Tanabata Fireworks Festival

On August 5, the night before the Sendai Tanabata Festival, the annual Sendai Tanabata Fireworks Festival is held. This is also a very popular event. Let's make the "Sendai Tanabata Festival" more exciting by watching the fireworks, a summer tradition, before the festival! For more information, please visit the "Sendai Tanabata Fireworks Festival" website.
For more information on the Sendai Tanabata Fireworks Festival, please visit

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