# Sendai Tanabata Matsuri

> Thousands of handmade paper decorations hung the length of Sendai's covered shopping streets for three days in August.

- Prefecture: Miyagi
- Type: Lantern
- Admission: Free to attend
- Typically held: Held every year from 6 to 8 August.
- Official site: https://www.sendaitanabata.com/

## Dates

- 2027-08-06 to 2027-08-08
- Status: confirmed
- Dates verified on 2026-08-20 from https://www.sendaitanabata.com/

Most Tanabata festivals happen on 7 July. Sendai keeps to the old lunar calendar and holds its own a month later, which is one reason it grew into the largest in Japan. The decorations are made by hand each year by the shops themselves, from washi paper, and each is a set of streamers hanging from a bamboo pole up to five metres long. They are judged, and the shops compete. Because the main streets are covered arcades, this is one of the few big summer festivals that rain does not spoil.

## Where it happens
- Sendai Tanabata Festival Area
- Sendai

## FAQ

### When is Sendai Tanabata?

From 6 to 8 August every year, a month later than most Tanabata festivals because Sendai follows the old lunar calendar.

### What happens if it rains?

The main streets are covered arcades, so the decorations stay up and the festival continues. That makes it a safer choice than most outdoor summer festivals.

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Source: Sendai Tanabata Matsuri — Japan Voyage