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Tanabata
(Japanese Star Festival)





The legend of Tanabata (literally Seven Evenings) came to Japan from China in the Nara Period (710-784).
The legend was mixed with existing traditional Japanese folk stories,
creating the love story of the stars.

The heroes of the legend are Vega and Altair,
who are called Orihime and Hikoboshi in Japan.
(These are the two brightest stars in the sky).
According to the legend although Altair,
daughter of The Lord of Heaven, and Vega, a cowherd, worked hard,
when they got married they started to neglect their work.
This angered The Lord of Heaven who separated Vega from Altair and
banished her from the Galaxy.
However, The Lord of Heaven was unable to endure Vega’s sadness
so he allowed Vega and Altair to meet once a year, on the 7th July.

It is said that Vega, the Harp star (Lyra), and Altair,
the Eagle star (Aquila) meet once a year
when a magpie builds a bridge over the Amanogawa
(the Milky Way, literally the ‘River of Stars’ in Japanese)
during the night of Tanabata.
The Tanabata Festival is still poplar in Japan today.
During this festival wishes are written on strips of paper called Goshiki (literally five colours),
which are tied to bamboo and subsequently let go into rivers.
An interpretation of court decorations during the Heian.






Mizutarai, (a water tub)





It is filled with water and reflects the stars- Vega
(that is Orihime) and Altail(that is Hikoboshii).

When the water is swayed ,
the stars meet over the Amanogawa (the milky way).
This is the way of the court during the Heian Period.

Would you like to sway this water tub,
and have them meet.






Kaji-no-ha, (a mulberry leaf)




A poem(Waka is a 31-syllable Japanese poem)
is written and offered on this leaf
as the wish for personal improvement
in arts and crafts,
as well as a wish for achieving deep love.
I drew it on the surface of this water tub,
using gold powder.
I lacquered this water tub,
and drew mulberry leaves on the surface of it,
using gold powder.(Makie)






Goshikino-no-ito, (five colour threads)





These are displayed as the wish
for improvement in sewing.
These were made in the shape
of a Japanese bobbin (Itomaki),
and I expressed it as candle light.






Biwa&Koto, (Japanese lute & Japanese harp)












Star Vega (or orihime )plays a Koto
and star Altair(or hikoboshi) plays the Biwa.








Sasa-no-ha, (bamboo leaf)



In the Heian period,
Sasa-no-ha or bamboo leaf was decorated
with Tanabata decorations
to create a spiritual boundary on 4 corners.
Tanabata Festival is still poplar
in Japan today.
People write their wishes on strips
of paper called Goshiki-no-tannzaku
(five coloured strips of paper) ,
which are tied to bamboo
and then let go into rivers.