The Japanese Tanabata festival has a long history and is celebrated with a lot of enthusiasm. Every July 7th, people write their wishes on colourful paper strips and hang them on branches of bamboo trees. However, in Okasa, you will find a slight twist that enhances this festival! People are asked to write their wishes on a lantern that is floated along the Okawa River! Here’s everything you need to know about the Tanabata celebration in Osaka.
Tanabata Festival At Osaka’s Okawa River
In Osaka, The Reiwa Osaka Legends of the Milky Way is a popular event that happens during the Tanabata festival. Following several cancellations due to Covid-19, it will return on July 7 2023 for the first time in four years. This event is held to raise awareness of Osaka’s rivers and canals because the city is frequently referred to as “the city of water.” The Amanogawa Project, which has organised comparable events across Japan to introduce people to their local rivers, is the one in charge of hosting it.
Between sunset and nine o’clock at night, you may witness thousands of LED lights floating down the Okawa River between the Tenjinbashi and Temmabashi bridges, producing a stunning ‘Milky Way’ effect on the river.
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Origin & History Of The Festival
The Tanabata event has a long and illustrious history and is based on the myth of Orihime and Hikoboshi. Empress Koken brought the Chinese holiday Qixi, which had its roots in Japan, to the country. The myth of Qixi is about two stars, Vega and Altair, which are visible in the seventh month and came from the devotion to astrology. The story, which is quite similar to Chinese mythology as it is when it became a part of Japanese mythology, turned into an intense love story from there after they came to symbolise a lady and a man.
Korea and Vietnam also have their own versions of the holiday, thus Japan is not the only country with a celebration like Qixi.
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So, this July, you will witness a beautiful milky way on the Okawa River; are you ready for it?
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