murmurSendai Tanabata Festival
Sendai City · Central Sendai's shopping arcades and nearby neighborhood shopping streets
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Sendai Tanabata Festival Association (secretariat: Sendai Chamber of Commerce and Industry) · Last checked: Oct 10, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Aug 6–8, 2026 （Ended）
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually early August
- How the date is set
- Every year, August 6 – August 8 The eve-of-festival fireworks, the Sendai Tanabata Fireworks Festival, are held on August 5
- Venue
- Central Sendai's shopping arcades and nearby neighborhood shopping streets
- City
- Sendai City, Miyagi
About
Said to date back to the era of the feudal lord Date Masamune, this is Sendai's signature summer tradition. Tanabata was originally tied to the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, so Sendai keeps the seasonal feel by celebrating a month later than the modern calendar date, on August 6 to 8 every year. Lavish streamers and ornaments handmade from washi paper and bamboo fill the city's covered shopping arcades, each carrying wishes for things like business success and good health. The festival faded at one point but was revived by local shopkeepers after World War II, and 2026 marked its 80th edition since that revival. More than two million people visit each year, and a fireworks show on August 5 kicks things off the night before. A local tip: wander the arcades hunting for the homemade decorations put up by long-established shops.
Sources
- OfficialSendai Tanabata Festival Association (secretariat: Sendai Chamber of Commerce and Industry) www.sendaitanabata.com
Last checked: Oct 10, 2026. Event information is based on official announcements, but changes may not always be reflected here. Please check each official website for accurate details.
Other events this month
On the day, see what locals are murmuring on the murmur map
murmur is an app that shows short, anonymous posts on a map, right where they were written. On festival day, open the map around the venue and see what people nearby are saying.