Taking place around the infamous Kappabashi Street, Shitamachi Tanabata Matsuri is well worth a visit if you’re in the area. It’s a great place to enjoy festivities before the weather gets blisteringly hot. The event features a good amount of yosakoi dance teams, who perform throughout the streets during July 6 and 7. Food stalls offering typical Japanese festival fare will be set up around the vicinity.
Tanabata
Tanabata, also known as the “star festival,” celebrates the legend of deities Orihime and Hikoboshi who are star-crossed lovers separated by the Milky Way and are only allowed to meet once a year on the 7th day of the 7th month. Attendees are invited to write down their wishes on paper and tie it to the bamboo branches that line the streets.
The festival will feature colorful decorations, dances, food and drink stalls, and live entertainment. Street performances will include traditional instruments like shamisen and taiko on Saturday, and a parade on Sunday.
