Jul 31 min read

Tanabata at Tamagawa Sengen Shrine (多摩川浅間神社)

Tamagawa Sengen Shrine - known as the Godzilla Shrine has an annual Tanabata festival, with potted bamboo trees decorated with Tanabata streamers. Visitors can write their wish on a piece of paper and attach it to one of the bamboo trees.

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.