Characteristics

The defining feature of the Sendai Tanabata Festival is undoubtedly the lavishly decorated bamboo branches, each newly crafted by hand every year.

In the early morning of August 4th, before the festival begins, each shopping district cuts down giant bamboo stalks over 10 meters long from the mountains, trims off the small branches, and prepares them for decoration.

The decorations are handmade by the staff of each shop, starting preparations months in advance. It is said that a single decoration can cost anywhere from several hundred thousand to several million yen. It is customary for Sendai Tanabata to display sets of five streamers.

The contents of the decorations remain a trade secret until the day itself. Decorating begins around 8:00 AM on August 6th, with shops competing for the most magnificent display. For the Grand Prize of 2025, please refer to the video below!

Direct Voice from Nozomi MIYAMOTO

Since Sendai is my hometown, I have been visiting this festival ever since I was a child. As mentioned on its official website, bamboo decorations, newly handcrafted each year, are lavish, and it's such a delight to weave through the shopping street lined with bamboo decorations. Some even reflect the trends of that year (ex., Demon Slayer from 2025), which is also interesting.

I also participated in creating the "Reconstruction Origami Cranes 復興折り鶴" (please refer to the photo on the left and video above for details!) during my elementary and junior high school years in Sendai. Since each of these origami cranes had a school name on it, finding my school's origami cranes among the many was something I looked forward to every year.