Sakari-cho Lantern Tanabata Festival

The Sakari-cho Lantern Tanabata Festival is a historic celebration held August 6–7 along the Sakari Chuo-dori shopping street in Ofunato. Its parade of Tanabata floats took its present form in the late Meiji era, giving it more than a century of tradition. Lavishly decorated floats wind through town to taiko drums and festival music, and at night countless lanterns mounted on them are lit, creating a magical scene. Classic Tanabata decorations also line the arcade, drawing crowds of spectators in this signature summer event of the Sanriku coast.