Sendai’s Tanabata Matsuri: Four Centuries of Vivid Colors

Colorful Tanabata streamers fill a crowded shopping street.

Colorful streamers made of washi paper hang from bamboo poles set up along major streets and shopping areas.

The Sendai tanabata decorations take many forms, but are invariably flamboyant.

Sponsoring organizations compete to create the most creative and impressive decorations.

The whole city turns out for the fun.

Zuihōden is illuminated beautifully after dusk for the Sendai Tanabata Matsuri. (© Zuihōden Foundation)