Tanabata (七夕) meaning "evening of the seventh" is a Japanese festival that originates from the Chinese Qixi Festival. It is in celebration of the meeting of the deities (and lovers) Orihime and Hikoboshi, and according to legend, they are only allowed to meet once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month of the lunisolar calendar. In Japan, it is celebrated by writing your wish on a piece of paper and attaching it to a bamboo tree. At Tanabata festivals, tons of intricate and flashy streamers are hung along large walkways, and you can play typical Japanese festival games, and try typical Japanese festival food such as kakigori, takoyaki, and candy fruits!
Shitaya Shrine hosts events all throughout the year, which includes their Tanabata Festival. They are popular for their goshuin (shrine stamps) and they have two limited edition stamps available just for Tanabata (see their website for the designs each year).
Where: 3 Chome-29-8 Higashiueno, Taito City, Tokyo 110-0015
When: July 1st ~ July 7th
How much: Free
Website: https://shitayajinja.or.jp/
At the same time as the Tanabata decorations are up, they also have a section of summer-themed glass wind chimes.
This shrine is also popular for it's hana chozuya designs which are water basins used for cleansing your hands before entering the shrine, that are decorated with flowers. For Tanabata, they spelled out the kanji "七夕".
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