The Tanabata Festival is a celebration aimed at fostering the development of learning, culture, arts, and ushering in good fortune. It draws inspiration from a poem penned by Sugawara Michizane, who intertwined his personal wish with a tale about the celestial rendezvous of Hikoboshi and Orihime on the night of Tanabata.
On the evening of July 7, both the Tanabata Festival and Tanabata Banquet are observed with prayers, expressing hope that each wish penned on tanzaku strips will ascend to the heavens. These wishes, transcribed onto tanzaku, embellish the shrine’s precincts with a festive charm, beginning from July 1.
Interestingly, the festival is also tied to the Kikuchi Castle in Yamaga City, Kumamoto Prefecture. Constructed 1,300 years ago, the castle served as a logistical support base for the Dazaifu Government. As part of the Tanabata Festival, the “Yamaga Lantern Dance” will be performed in dedication at 8:00 p.m., further enhancing the festive atmosphere.
• Tanabata decoration: 7/1 (Tue.) ~ 7/7 (Mon.)
• Tanabata Festival: 7/7 (Mon.) 18:30~, Tanabata Banquet 20:00~
• Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine
• 4-7-1 Saifu, Dazaifu City, Fukuoka
• https://www.dazaifutenmangu.or.jp/omatsuri/tanabata
