Tanabata Festivals (sometimes known as “Star Festivals”) are held throughout Japan during July and August, but none is more famous than the Sendai Tanabata Matsuri which attracts over two million visitors each year. The festival is also famous for its bamboo decorations which stretch from Sendai Station and Chuo-dori Avenue to Ichibancho Arcade, as well as the “Seven Ornaments” which include a casting net to welcome in a good harvest, cranes for longevity, kimono for good health, and paper strips on which people write to hang messages on the bamboo. The festival is held on 6-8th August every year.
Traditional performances are held in Shimin Hiroba Square, Kotodai Park, Sendai Castle, and Zuihōden, and there are fireworks on the evening before the festival (5 August) along the bank of the Hirosegawa River in Nishi Park.