# Tanabata: Japan’s star festival and paper wishes

[Sea Pals](https://seapals.app/) › [Culture](https://seapals.app/culture) › [Tanabata](https://seapals.app/culture/tanabata)

Updated 11 October 2026

Tanabata is a Japanese star festival associated with the story of Orihime and Hikoboshi, when people write wishes on paper strips and hang them on bamboo. Many places mark it on 7 July, while some regional celebrations take place in August or follow a different local calendar.

## A star story, bamboo and small wishes

Tanabata brings a sky story into a familiar craft. Orihime and Hikoboshi are associated with the stars Vega and Altair, imagined as separated by the Milky Way and able to meet for the festival. Versions of the tale differ.

The everyday custom many visitors recognise is tanzaku: narrow paper strips with wishes written on them. These are hung on bamboo branches, often alongside other paper decorations. A wish can concern learning, a skill, a hope for the year or something meaningful to the writer.

Public displays may invite people to add a strip; others are decorations to look at. Read the instructions before writing or touching anything. Festivals can also have large hanging decorations, food stalls or performances, but an elaborate street event is not necessary for a household or school to mark the day. Ask a friend about the version they know, rather than assuming everyone has attended the same festival.

## Why Tanabata has more than one date

7 July is the familiar date in many places. Some regions celebrate in August, and local traditions can use other calendar arrangements. A festival bearing the Tanabata name is not automatically held on the July date. Check the organiser’s schedule if you are discussing an event, rather than treating “July or August” as a confirmed booking.

The older seasonal calendar and today’s calendar do not line up neatly. This matters when comparing Tanabata with other East Asian festivals connected to the seventh month. A similar star story does not make their modern dates interchangeable. A pen pal might remember a school display in July and a town festival in August without either memory being wrong.

You can ask “Do you mark Tanabata in July or August?” and let the person describe their own experience. Keep a distinction between the date of a custom and the timetable of a particular public event.

## Words for wishes and the night sky

The readings are Japanese romanisation, with long vowels marked by a bar. Recognising the word tanzaku helps you explain what you want to write. For a gentle opening, use [Japanese letter phrases](https://seapals.app/guides/japanese-phrases) before adding the wish.

Tanabata words

| Term | Reading | Meaning |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 七夕 | tanabata | The star festival; its written characters refer to the seventh evening. |
| 短冊 | tanzaku | A narrow paper strip used for writing a wish. |
| 願い事 | negaigoto | A wish or something you hope for. |
| 笹 | sasa | Bamboo grass used for hanging the paper decorations. |
| 天の川 | ama no gawa | The Milky Way, literally the river of heaven. |

## Ask your pen pal

Share a modest wish of your own, such as getting better at a hobby. You can also mention the words you are practising through [learning Japanese with a pen pal](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/learn-japanese).

- 七夕に願い事を書いたことがありますか？ — Have you ever written a Tanabata wish?
- 短冊に何を書いてみたいですか？ — What would you like to write on a tanzaku?
- 七夕は七月と八月、どちらになじみがありますか？ — Is July or August more familiar to you for Tanabata?
- 好きな七夕の飾りはありますか？ — Is there a Tanabata decoration you like?
- 星を見るのは好きですか？ — Do you like looking at the stars?

## A postcard with a small wish

Write one modest wish, such as enjoying a hobby more, then ask what your friend would choose.

> こんにちは！
> 
> 七夕の短冊について知りました。私なら「絵をもっと楽しめますように」と書いてみたいです。短冊に何を書いてみたいですか？星を見るのも好きです。
> 
> 小さな願いの話を聞けたらうれしいです。

Hello!

I learnt about Tanabata paper wishes. I would like to write, “May I enjoy drawing more.” What would you like to write on a tanzaku? I also like looking at the stars.

I would be happy to hear about a little wish of yours.

## A culture postcard in Sea Pals

Turn a small wish into a Sea Pals letter that Mochi can carry across the sea. [Write a Tanabata postcard](https://seapals.app/letter) about something you would like to learn and invite your pen pal to share a wish too.

## Sea Pals at a glance

- Price: Free

- Works on: iPhone, Android and the web

- App languages: English · 한국어 · 日本語 · Deutsch · Português (Brasil) · Español · Русский · Türkçe · Bahasa Indonesia · Tiếng Việt · ไทย · Italiano · Français · Polski

- Minimum age: 13+ · 14+ in South Korea · 16+ in Australia

- Translation: Built-in, on supported devices and language pairs

## Questions

### Is Tanabata always on 7 July?

Many places mark it on 7 July, but some regional celebrations are in August or use local calendars. Check the particular event’s dates.

### What do people write on tanzaku?

Personal hopes, including learning, skills or everyday wishes. The content is up to the writer; there is no need to copy a set phrase.

### Can I write a Tanabata wish in another language?

A personal craft can use a language you understand. At a public display, follow its instructions and leave private details off the paper.

## Write a postcard

[Write a postcard to a pen pal](https://seapals.app/letter)

[Get Sea Pals](https://seapals.app/#get)

## More culture postcards

- [Culture](https://seapals.app/culture)

- [Chuseok](https://seapals.app/culture/chuseok)

- [Seollal](https://seapals.app/culture/seollal)

- [Hanbok](https://seapals.app/culture/hanbok)

- [Bingsu](https://seapals.app/culture/bingsu)

- [Hotteok](https://seapals.app/culture/hotteok)

- [Jjimjilbang](https://seapals.app/culture/jjimjilbang)

- [Noraebang](https://seapals.app/culture/noraebang)

- [Korean age](https://seapals.app/culture/korean-age)

- [Hangul Day](https://seapals.app/culture/hangul-day)

- [Black Day in Korea](https://seapals.app/culture/black-day)

- [K-pop photocards](https://seapals.app/culture/photocard)

- [Hanami](https://seapals.app/culture/hanami)

- [Obon](https://seapals.app/culture/obon)

- [Setsubun](https://seapals.app/culture/setsubun)

- [Golden Week](https://seapals.app/culture/golden-week)

- [Onsen etiquette](https://seapals.app/culture/onsen)

- [Kotatsu](https://seapals.app/culture/kotatsu)

- [Omamori](https://seapals.app/culture/omamori)

- [Taiyaki](https://seapals.app/culture/taiyaki)

## Pen pals and related guides

- [Japanese pen pals](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/japanese)

- [Learn Japanese](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/learn-japanese)

- [Anime fans](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/anime)

- [Japanese letter phrases](https://seapals.app/guides/japanese-phrases)

## Related pages

- [Japanese pen pals](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/japanese)

- [Learn Japanese](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/learn-japanese)

- [Anime fans](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/anime)

- [Japanese letter phrases](https://seapals.app/guides/japanese-phrases)

[Open in your browser](https://seapals.app/app)
## Pen pals for…
- [BTS fans](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/bts)
- [K-pop fans](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/kpop)
- [Korean pen pals](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/korean)
- [Korean practice with friends](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/learn-korean)
- [K-drama fans](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/kdrama)
- [Anime fans](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/anime)
- [Japanese pen pals](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/japanese)
- [Learn Japanese](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/learn-japanese)
- [English practice](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/learn-english)
- [Adult pen pals](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/adults)
## Legal
- [Otter maker](https://seapals.app/make/otter)
- [Four-cut photo booth](https://seapals.app/booth)
- [Friendship book](https://seapals.app/book)
- [Sea creature quiz](https://seapals.app/quiz)
- [Letter paper](https://seapals.app/letter)
- [Friendship quiz](https://seapals.app/friendship-quiz)
- [Virtual pet app with friends](https://seapals.app/doori)
- [Friends in other countries](https://seapals.app/lagoons)
- [Pen pals](https://seapals.app/pen-pals)
- [Safety](https://seapals.app/safety)
- [Guides](https://seapals.app/guides)
- [Friends widget app](https://seapals.app/widgets)
- [Memory book & photo journal](https://seapals.app/memory-book)
- [Long-distance friends](https://seapals.app/long-distance-friends)
- [Culture](https://seapals.app/culture)
- [Long distance relationship app](https://seapals.app/long-distance-relationship-app)
- [BTS fans](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/bts)
- [K-pop fans](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/kpop)
- [Korean pen pals](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/korean)
- [Korean practice with friends](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/learn-korean)
- [K-drama fans](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/kdrama)
- [Anime fans](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/anime)
- [Japanese pen pals](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/japanese)
- [Learn Japanese](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/learn-japanese)
- [English practice](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/learn-english)
- [Adult pen pals](https://seapals.app/pen-pals/adults)
- [Help](https://seapals.app/help)
- [Privacy](https://seapals.app/legal/privacy)
- [Terms](https://seapals.app/legal/terms)
- [Community guidelines](https://seapals.app/legal/guidelines)
- [Child safety](https://seapals.app/legal/child-safety)
- [About](https://seapals.app/about)
City data from GeoNames (CC BY 4.0)