Japan Info Swap Blog

Every summer in Japan, a gentle kind of magic arrives. Streets are strung with streamers, bamboo branches wave with colorful slips of paper, and families quietly pen their dreams to the stars. This is Tanabata, the Star Festival, celebrated each year on the seventh day of the seventh month.

In 2025, that means July 7 for much of the Tokyo metro area, though some regions (like Sendai) still follow the lunar calendar and celebrate in early August. Wherever and whenever …