Tanabata is a Japanese festival celebrated on July 7th, and it originates from a Chinese legend. It commemorates the annual meeting of the star-crossed lovers, deities Orihime and Hikoboshi who are said to be separated by the Milky Way. Legend says they can only meet once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, and around this time many places across the country hang up decorations or host festivals to celebrate.
If you're in the Osaka area, the Umeda Tanabata Festival is one such event, and it showcases a variety of decorations on loan from the well-known Sendai Tanabata Festival in Miyagi Prefecture. The decorations will be on display from early June until early August.
Getting there
The festival takes place at the Umeda Sky Building and the surrounding area. Umeda Sky has easy access from several train stations including JR Osaka Station, Hankyu Osaka Umeda Station, and Osaka Metro Umeda Station, with comprehensive instructions on how to get there here.
More info
Find out more about Umeda Sky Building.
Kim Bergström @kim.b
Almost 12 years living in Asia. Passionate about Japan's off-the-beaten-path spots, family-friendly travel, flower events (all of them!) and the amazing tea culture here. 🍵🌼🌸
