Hakodate Tanabata "Rosoku-morai" (Candle Begging)

In Hakodate and southern Hokkaido, Tanabata is celebrated on July 7 (not the month-delayed date). On that evening, children in yukata visit homes and shops singing a traditional song asking for a candle, receiving candy and candles in a custom called "Rosoku-morai." Resembling Halloween and said to derive from Aomori's Nebuta tradition, it is a major event for local children, with venues such as Goryokaku Tower joining in to pass the culture to the next generation.