Make your own Tanabata decorations using our paper templates of tanzaku and mulberry leaves
Explore the cultures of Japan this summer holiday with a series of free family-friendly workshops. During each workshop, participants can enjoy learning about Japan and unleashing their creativity while trying an activity using original Japan House London worksheets.
Tanabata is a summer festival celebrating the legendary meeting of two stars, Orihime, a weaver, and Hikoboshi, a cowherder. It is held on the seventh day of the seventh month which coincides with 7 July, although some regions of Japan continue to refer to the lunar calendar and celebrate it around 7 August. Separated by the Milky Way, Ama no gawa or ‘Heavenly River’ in Japanese, the stars are allowed to cross the distance by boat and meet only once a year on this day.
Tanabata evolved from an even older festival known as Kikkōden which was held at court and during which people would wish for personal improvement in a variety of artistic skills, by writing their wishes on broad mulberry leaves.
Today, Tanabata wishes are hung on branches of bamboo and written on strips of paper called tanzaku, which can be blue or green, red, yellow, white, and purple (which replaced black over the years).
Explore all workshops in the Japan House London Family Workshops series on the Japan House website.