Murakami Tanabata Festival

Held on August 16 and 17 each year in central Murakami City, Niigata, this traditional Tanabata festival boasts over 200 years of history. It is said to have taken its current form in the Meiji era by merging three observances: neburi-nagashi to ward off sleepiness, the star festival that came from China in the Edo period as one of the five seasonal festivals, and Ise faith praying for warding off plague and for longevity. During the festival, neighborhood Tanabata floats and lions parade boldly through the castle-town streets chanting wishes for business prosperity, household safety, and exorcism. The spectacle of intricately decorated floats, flute and drum music, and lion dances is stunning, conveying the history and tradition unique to the Murakami castle town.