Tokyo

Tokyo Disney Sea’s Tanabata (Japanese Star Festival) Parade! – a new event in 2014

Tokyo Disney Sea holds Tanabata (Japanese star festival on 7 July in the solar calendar, or August based on the lunar calendar) Event for the first time!

(Attention! My Report & Information Updated in 2015http://tokyo-direct-guide.com/blog/2015/06/tanabata-star-festival-in-disneyland-japan/)




Tanabata is a romantic festival in Japan.
No one knows its origin exactly, but it is said that a Chinese tale and some Japanese festivals were mixed up.

Here is the outline of the Chinese legend…

Once upon a time in the far sky…

Orihime was a hard-working weave. She wove a lot of beautiful cloths for gods.
God was grateful for her work, so he found Hikoboshi, a charming young man who worked hard as a cattleman, as her boyfriend.
The two fell in love at once, married and became very happy. But they were intoxicated with each other enough to stop working.
God told them to work again, but they did not. So he got angry and separated them by the Milky Way to make sure that they cannot meet each other.
Orihime cried and cried every day. Hikoboshi was so sad that he stayed indoors every day. So God promised that if they work again, he allows them to meet once a year on Tanabata.
After that, Orihime and Hikoboshi have a date at the night of 7 July every year.

the End.

Romantic, isn’t it?
Some people say they cannot meet if it’s rainy on 7 July, and others say they can with the help of magpies (birds) living near the Milky Way. Both are all right because there is not a fixed ending. Many like the latter.

The tale is based on the true Milky Way. Vega is Orihime and Altair is Hikoboshi. The Milky Way is between these two light stars. On 7 July, they are lightest in a year.

In Tokyo Disney Sea, Mikky & Duffy are in Hikoboshi’s costume and Minny & ShellieMay in Orihime’s.

Not only Tokyo Disney Sea, many public places, such as observatory decks, stations, shopping centers, town halls, preschools, etc, hold Tanabata events and festivals.
Let’s make a wish to stars on 7 July. As Orihime and Hikoboshi’s wish comes true…

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