Events and Festivals in Japan
Whether it’s a local party or a massive national festival, nothing’s more frustrating than missing out on major events on your travels. To make sure you’re at the most exciting events in Japan check out the HostelBookers roundup of what’s happening when. We’ve got the lot covered!
Stars at the Festival
Tanabata Star Festival - Japan
When: 05 August 2009 - 08 August 2009
Japan's Tanabata Star Festival is one of the most colorful celebrations in the country. The festivities which take place across Japan on 7th July are inspired by an ancient Chinese legend about the love of two stars that were only allowed to meet once a year on this date.
The celebrations take the form of magnificent parades with lanterns, streamers and origami decorating streets and homes. It also involves plenty of looking up to the heavens, as legend has it that any wish (particularly romantic) upon the two stars made on that day will come true.
A word of warning, however; should you arrive in Japan on July 7th to find it raining, the lovers' meeting and your hopes of fulfilling a wish will have to wait another year!
Some towns and cities celebrate the festival according to lunar cycles, so it’s a good idea to check the date before you leave.