Tanabata, also known as the "star festival", takes place on the 7th day of the 7th month of the year, when, according to a Chinese legend, the two stars Altair and Vega, which are usually separated from each other by the milky way, are able to meet.

Because the 7th month of the year roughly coincides with August rather than July according to the formerly used lunar calendar, Tanabata is still celebrated on August 7th in some regions of Japan, while it is celebrated on July 7th in other regions.

One popular Tanabata custom is to write one's wishes on a piece of paper, and hang that piece of paper on a specially erected bamboo tree, in the hope that the wishes become true.

Colorful Tanabata festivals are held across Japan in early July and August. Among the biggest and most famous ones are the Tanabata Festivals of Sendai in August and Hiratsuka near Tokyo in July.

According to a Chinese legend, Tentei, the celestial emperor had seven daughters. The youngest one, expert in weaving, was called the Weaver (Shokujo or Ori Hime). Working all day on her weaving loom, she did not weave ordinary fabrics but beautiful, star sprinkled celestial brocades. Each day the sky looked different because of her beautiful creations.

One day, the princess went down to stroll on Earth. She met a young shepherd there, who was simply called the Shepherd (Kengyu). In an instant, they fell in love, so the Princess decided to stay. However, her father the Emperor was not happy to hear about his daughter's decision.

The Princess and the Shepherd became inseparable. The Shepherd tended to the fields, and she took care of the household. Within a few years their union was blessed by a little boy and a little girl. However, the Celestial Emperor could not longer put up with his anger and wanted his daughter back to work! He admonished a genie to find his daughter and bring her back to him.

When the genie separated the Princess from her husband and her children, the princess broke out in tears, as the thought of never seeing her husband and children was almost unbearable to bear. Meanwhile, the Shepherd was also in despair, as he was searching for his beloved wife but could not find her. He left the kids behind and started to search for her. But as he was about to catch up with his wife captive of a celestial genie, the emperor's wife appeared and created a broad, deep and tumultuous river which stopped the Shepherd in his tracks.

Deeply grieving, the Shepherd collapsed on the river bank, and stayed there for a long time hoping that he can proceed to find Ori hime. On the other side of the river Ori hime was also continuing to weep, and refused to go back to her father. Seeing the dedication in these two, the Emperor finally offered a compromise: he allowed his daughter to meet her lover once a year, for one day only.

Since, each year, the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar, the celestial magpies form a temporary footbridge above the Milky Way (Ama No gawa), on which the stellar lovers:
Vega (the Weaver) and Altair (the Herdsman), renew their pledge of love.

It is said that in the early morning hours of their meeting day it often drizzles; these are the tears of the Vega princess who, clasping her children to her and tenderly holding her husband's hand, is weeping.

The traditional and picturesque habits of the Tanabata festival have mostly disappeared in recent days. The festival is observed at some kindergartens and national school, but city dwellers now no longer traditionally celebrate the day as it was done by their parents or grandparents. Today, girls are not so romantic as to believe in the story. Yet in rural districts, its is still observed, People enjoy the day as with it comes something good to eat and some hope that the impossible may happen, as in wonders.