Subject & Course Guides: K-12 Outreach for Japanese Culture: 7月 / July

七夕 / Tanabata (Star Festival)

七夕（たなばた）は「しちせき」とも呼ばれ7月7日の夕方を指し、星祭が行われる。この日はアジア各地で、季節の節目として行事が行われるが、日本でも「五節句」の日の一つとして親しまれている。

中国古来の伝説では、7月7日の夜、天の川で隔てられた「牽牛(けんぎゅう)」（アルタイル）と「織女星(しょくじょせい)」（ベガ）が、年に一度出会うといわれる。この織女星に手芸・裁縫などの上達を祈った乞巧奠（きっこうでん）の行事が、日本古来の棚機津女(たなばたつめ)の信仰や祓えの神事が結びつき、日本でも奈良時代から宮中行事として星祭が行われるようになった。

現在でも、七夕は恋人同士が星を渡って再び出会うときとして知られ、多くの人が芸技が上達するように、良い出会いがあるようにと短冊に願いを書いいて笹飾りに吊るす。

July 7th is the day of Tanabata Star Festival. Tanabata is also called Shichiseki by some. Tanabata can be translated directly into “evening of the seventh.” Similar festivals are held in different areas in Asia, and in Japan. Tanabata is one of the five major seasonal events known as Gosekku.

According to the Chinese myth, the night of the seventh day of the seventh month is the only day when Kengyū (Niulang or Altair) and Shokujo (Zhinü or Vega) meet once a year, but are usually separated by the Milky Way. The Chinese people started a celebration called Kikkōden where people pray to improve their sewing and handcrafting skill. This event spread to Japan, and was combined with the myth of tanabatatsume and other native purifying rituals. The Star Festival is celebrated at the Imperial Court since the Nara period (710-784)

Today, the day celebrates the annual meeting of the star-crossed lovers. On the day, many people write wishes on a piece of paper and hang it on sasa or bamboo trees.

天の川 / Milky Way

七夕の笹飾り / A decorated sasa, bamboo tree

七夕祭り / Tanabata Festival

There are large Tanabata festivals in Japan held at cities such as Sendai city in Miyagi Prefecture and Hiratsuka city in Kanagawa Prefecture.

仙台七夕祭り / Sendai Tanabata Festival

平塚七夕祭り / Hiratsuka Tanabata Festival

七夕と和菓子 / Tanabata to Wagashi (Star Festival and Sweets)

七夕の季節に作られる和菓子は星や天の川をモチーフにしたり、「寒天」や「葛粉」をつかって涼しげな見た目の菓子が店に並ぶ。だが、宮中の七夕行事に供された菓子は、「索餅（さくへい）」という、小麦粉と米粉を練り、縄のように細長くねじって揚げたもので、唐から「遣唐使」を伝わってやってきた「唐菓子（とうがし）」のひとつ。また、七月七日は「素麺の日」とされるが、この「素麺」は「索餅」に由来するといわれる。

The Tanabata legend inspires wagashi makers during the Tanabata season in terms of the subject matter and the aesthetics. Many create the sweets that are inspired by the Milky Way. And often times utilizing clear jelly-like material made from kanten (agar powder) or kuzuko (a starchy powder made from the kuzu plant) to achieve a more summery look during the hot months of July. However, the traditional sweets served at the Imperial Court for Tanabata are called “sakuhei.” These are originally imported from Tō (Tang China) by kentō-shi (Japanese missionaries). Sakuhei is made of flour and rice powder, kneaded and shaped like twisted rope and then deep-fried.

A little trivia related to sakuhei is that sōmen, thin summer noodles, were originated from sakuhei. July 7th is also the Day of Sōmen because of this relation.

唐と遣唐使とは？

唐は昔の中国の王朝。遣唐使は日本から唐へと出された使いたちのことで、中国の発展していた文化を日本に伝えるために渡された。

What is Tō and Kentō-shi?

Tō is what Japan called China during the Tang Dynasty (618–690 & 705–907). During that time, Japan sent 19 missionaries or kentō-shi to learn and to exchange cultures and technologies between China and Japan.