Tanabata

たなばたの話 – A brief explanation of the origin and meaning of the Star Festival.

People dressed in yukata at Tanabata

8 Facts about Japanese Valentine’s Day – Tanabata

Valentine Day Music Videos and Lyrics

• Sukiyaka - Ue o muite arukō - by Kyu Sakamoto with lyrics in romaji and in English translation
• Love Letter by the BOA – Lyrics in romaji
• First Love - Hikaru Utada with lyrics in romaji, kanji and in English translation.
•  Kiss Me Goodbye by Angela Aki with lyrics in romaji, kanji and English translation.
• Kiss Me Goodbye by Angela Aki with lyrics in romaji and English subtitles. Lyrics in kanji.

Orihime, Kengyuu, and Tanabata: Adapting Chinese Lore to Native Beliefs and Purposes – Article by Steve Renshaw and Saori Ihara on the Astronomy in Japan Web site.

Tanabata – A short simple explanation of the festival on the Japan-guide.com Web site.

Photos and Videos

仙台七夕まつり - photos of the Tanabata festival at Sendai.

Tanabata Festival at Shonan Hiratsuka city

Tanabata Festival on Flickr

Tanabata Festival 2007: Kanto Region – YouTube video on the largest Tanabata Festival in the Kanto region that takes place in the city of Hiratsuka.

Hiratsuka Tanabata Festival, Kanagawa, Japan  – YouTube video showing the annual Star Festival held in early July in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa, Japan. Colourful streamers line the streets and a folk dance parade is held.  

 

Activities

仙台七夕の作り方 – Illustrated instructions on making Tanabata decorations.

絵本　たなばた – Illustrated Tanabata story in simple Japanese. You can choose from two versions: a version with kanji, or one with hiragana only.

Star Festival Wishing Wand – A craft idea from Crayola.com
Tanataba Worksheets in English and in Japanese. These were created by Shunko Muroya, Japanese Advisor, Alberta Education