Hida-Takayama Tanabata Festival

In Takayama City, Gifu, where annual observances follow the old (month-late) calendar, Tanabata is celebrated in August rather than on July 7. Each early August, the Old Town that represents Takayama, including Kami-Sannomachi and Shimo-Ninomachi, and streets throughout the city are decorated with colorful Tanabata ornaments, as wish strips and streamers swaying on bamboo add charm to the evocative castle-town scenery. The town is especially lively around August 5 to 7, when bamboo decorations under the eaves and the lattice-doored Old Town create scenes that captivate many tourists as a summer tradition unique to Hida-Takayama. Visitors can enjoy the simple yet richly atmospheric colors of a traditional Tanabata.