Photo Essay: Tanabata Matsuri (Star Festival)

TANABATA MATSURI
by
Carl Kuntze

This annual festival, celebrated all over Japan in early July and August, the largest,
in Hiratsuka, a suburb of Tokyo, and Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, 190 miles northeast. A kalediscopic explosion of color that converts normally conservative cities into public theater.
Local merchants and national businessmen invest millions of Yen competing for the best decoration, a prestigious award, which reaps the winner immeasurable benefits in publicity. The English translation for Tanabata Matsuri is Star Festuvak, an apt description, for the brilliant cloak of coruscating tints blanketing the entire commercial district makes it appear as if an entire galaxy had descended into earth. Brightly hued streamers suspended over shopping streets resemble the trail of stars streaking across the heavens, enhancing the stage for lifelike puppets, dolls, lanterns, and fairytale characters peering out of castles. The motifs range from traditional to Victorian, even digressing to the future, in some instances.

Each year, an attendabc e of as much as three million visitors from neighboring cities, has been logged. Street stalls line normally uncluttered sidewalks, with hawkers purveying commemorative souvenirs, toys, flowers, and holiday garments. Food vendors, an incongruous medley of dishes from Mexical tacos, Indian stuffed pancakes, American hot dogs, and hamburgers, beside counters dispensing yakitori and sushi. A US astronaut vies for attention with Disney favorites like Snow White, Peter Pan, and Cinderella, Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse. Dolls and lanterns represent the effigies of Kabuki and Noh performers with even caricatures of baseball heroes.

An elaborate parade presided upon by The Tanabata Queen, culminates festivities each afternoon. Brass bands. Drum majorettes, gymnasts. Even dancers file through the streets to the tune of western martial music. Granting respite to spectators who gild past the many exhibits, it would appear, in perpetual motion.

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The festival is based on a medieval Chinese folk tale about two stars, Vega and Altaire, separated by The Milky Way, whose paths only intersect once a year, on the seventh day of the seventh month. Legend maintains, a beautiful weaver (Vega) living in one side of the Nebulae and Altair (Herdsman) in the other, fell in love. Because of prolonged assignation, Vega enraged her father by neglecting her fiven duties, and he prohibited further meetings. Grief-stricken, Vega tearfully entreated her lfather to reconsider. He capitulated to her pleasl, and consented to an annual tryst.

This fable so captivated Japanese women that they contrived the festival., which started modestly enough, with strips of colored paper attached to bamboo poles slatted over public walkways. Wishes, undoubtedly with romantic connotations, were scribbled on each strip, referred to as Tanzaku. This festival assumed complexity over the years with commercial establishments participating, and hence, decorations became more lavish, and prizes awarded to the most imaginative.

Hiratsuka is about an hour south of Central Tokyo by limited express trains, which leave at fifteen minute intervals. Additional service is installed to accomodate the overflow of homebound traffic and express cars normally bypassing the city make brief stops to pick up passengers. The fare is modest for a rewarding visual adventure. Sendai, a port city further north at Miyagi Prefecture celebrates it a month later. Off the beaten path, it provides the added benefit of investigating a modern harbor town.