- Tanabata is the custom of writing your wish on Tanzaku.
- Discover the festive side of Asakusa and Ueno!
- Map
Tanabata is the custom of writing your wish on Tanzaku.
We have the custom named Tanabata on July 7th. The origin story for this festival is very romantic, you can read it in our article here. On this day, we write our wishes on a strip of paper called tanzaku, and tie it to bamboo grasses to make a wish.
It is celebrated everywhere in Japan.
Discover the festive side of Asakusa and Ueno!
On of our favorites is the famous Tanabata festival named Shitamachi Tanabata Festival (Tanabata Festival of the old downtown). It’s held on Asakusa Kappa-bashi Main Street every year. There, you can see a lot of decorations for Tanabata lined up along the street between the intersection of Asakusa and West side of Ueno station, going on for about 1.2km.
During this Festival, it becomes a pedestrian street. All kinds of food stalls and various performers join the festival. You can enjoy looking around the local traditional shops in a happy atmosphere.
And… don’t forget to make a wish!
This year 2018, it’s held between Thu, July 5th and Mon, July 9th.
There are many Tanabata decorations along the street with the Tokyo Skytree seen in the distance. You can see dances, craftsmen who make sugar sculptures and wirework, and many more!
Map
3-1-1, Matugaya, Taito-ku, Tokyo
You can also enjoy Tanabata at the Kanda Myojin shrine: Read our article here.
For more information about Japanese summer festivals for the first half of July, read our article here: Early July festivals
