Sendai Tanabata (2): Outdoor shows

While the highlight of the Tanabata is definitely the long, flowing Fukinagashi streamers around town that I mentioned here, the festival has in recent times expanded to include outdoor events as well.

There are free musical and cultural performances by groups from Sendai and other parts of Japan, as well as the usual food and games stalls lining the sidewalks, turning the city into one big carnival.

At Kotodai Park, the main venue, you can catch live performances by local music artistes and school groups. There was also a segment where they showcased the Suzume-odori (すずめ踊り, meaning “Sparrow dance”), a part of the annual Aoba Matsuri (青葉まつり), a spring festival. The festival was not held this year because of the March 11 disasters.

A bunch of friendly youngsters at Kotodai Park (勾当台公園), the main venue for the outdoor performances during the Tanabata.

All photos taken with the Nikon F6, with the AFS 24mm f1.4 or AIS 35mm f1.4. I used Kodak Portra 800 and Fujifilm Superia  Premium 400 films.

Sendai’s Tanabata(1): At the Shopping Arcade

Ah, Sendai.

I was there just five months ago, immediately after the March 11 triple disasters. I’ve been wanting to go there since I was in Japan for my university exchange in 2007/2008, but haven’t been able to fit it in. And when I finally got there in March (and the journey took a whole day on the road), it was hardly the kind of circumstance I was expecting.

But by August, there were little signs of what happened less than half a year ago. As I stepped out of JR Sendai train station for the first time, I was greated by giant fukinagashi streamers, the iconic Tanabata ornament. I knew I was there to celebrate this time.

Thousands of streamers can be found around Sendai city’s central area during the annual Tanabata festival.

The Tanabata festival (七夕) actually originated from the Chinese Qi Qiao festival, and celebrates the yearly union of the deities Orihime and Hikoboshi.

And while Tanabata is celebrated all over Japan and not unique to the city, the scale of Sendai's Tanabata is by far the largest in the country, drawing about 2.2 million visitors each year. The tradition of celebrating Tanabata in Tohoku started more than 400 years ago, with records found from the time of Date Masamune (1567-1636AD), warlord of the Sendai Clan.