Matsumoto Tanabata (Tanabata Dolls)

In Matsumoto City, Nagano, the custom of month-late Tanabata, celebrating not on July 7 of the new calendar but on August 7 one month later, remains strongly alive. Its defining feature is the Tanabata doll, a tradition found only in the Matsumoto area and parts of the coastal Himeji region of Hyogo. Paired male and female dolls of paper or wood are hung under the eaves, with the wooden dolls dressed in children's kimono, wishing for children's healthy growth and mastery of skills. A distinctive long-legged figure called Katari, who helps Orihime cross the heavenly river, can also be seen. Decorations go up on August 6 and are removed early on August 8. During the period, museums including the Matsumoto City Museum exhibit collections of Tanabata dolls, offering a chance to experience precious traditional culture unique to the castle town of Matsumoto. In 2026, related events such as the Matsumoto Machinaka Tanabata Festival and doll exhibitions at city museums run from early July through August 7.