七夕 (Tanabata) also know as 星祭り (Hoshi matsuri) or Star Festival, takes place every year on the seventh day of the seventh month. Celebrations begin on July 7th and continue through August.
The festival celebrates the meeting of deities Orihime and Hikoboshi who, as legend states, are lovers separated by the milky way, only allowed to meet once a year on the seventh day of the seventh month.
Today, Tanabata is celebrated by writing wishes and decorating bamboo with small, bright colored papers known as 短冊 (Tanzaku).
Many times, these wishes take the form of poetry.
Above, the Nishigawara home in Nagoya, Japan. The family’s Tanabata decorations in the living room.
During Tanabata, many streets and shopping malls will be decorated with large, colorful streamers. It is considered one of the major summer festivals with celebrations, large and small, taking place across Japan.
Pictured above on the left, Nona and Fenella Nishigawara (the two oldest children of Nobuhito and Lesley Nishigawara) in 2010. They are enjoying 団子 (dango) at a Tanabata festival. On the right, Nona and Fenella dressed in 浴衣 (yukata), running through a decorated street.