Shonan Hiratsuka Tanabata Festival

One of Japan's three great Tanabata festivals alongside Sendai and Ichinomiya, the Shonan Hiratsuka Tanabata Festival began in 1951 to celebrate post-war recovery and is the largest in the Kanto region. From July 3-5, 2026 (74th edition), around 100 gorgeous large-scale decorations, some up to 10m tall and shaped like popular characters, line the streets around Hiratsuka Station's north exit. They are illuminated at night, and with some 100 food stalls and a 1,000-person Tanabata dance parade, the event draws about 1.5 million visitors.