Hatamono Shrine Tanabata Festival

Hatamono Shrine in Kuraji, Katano City, enshrines Ame-no-Tanabata-hime, the deity identified with the Weaver Princess, and is said to be a birthplace of the Tanabata legend. At the festival—held on the eve of July 6 and the main day of July 7—bamboo poles up to eight meters tall are raised, hung with countless five-colored wish cards for a spectacular sight. About 80 stalls line the approach, drawing families and yukata-clad visitors from evening into night. As night deepens, the decorations are dedicated in a ritual, in keeping with Katano's identity as the 'town of stars.'