Culture

Papier Mache Floats rule for Tanabata Festival

by leconcierge | August 14, 2008 at 10:14 am

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It is refreshing to see how even malls can be about more than shopping.

Our friends at PingMag show in Asagaya’s Tanabata Festival: The Papier-mache Float Parade how the Pearl Shopping Center unleashes its creativity with Papier Mache creatures for the Tanabata festival in August.

Definitely the place to be for a fun day with the kids.

Even the Tax-Man is there with E-tax-kun (pictured on my original piece, from PingMag) which Ryoko describes as "a character to encourage the Japanese citizens to file their taxes online".

Some people such as Jason Weill feel that the festival is too commercial. He offers a number of evening pictures of the same event on Weill in Japan and writes that "Tanabata are slips of paper on which people write their wishes, and then hang on bamboo trees"...

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ajari

at 15:35 on August 15th, 2008

ajari has contributed a photo to this story.

Art.Dinardo

at 15:45 on August 15th, 2008

It's about the 30th Tanabata's Festival at Liberty, São Paulo Brazil.
The people wishes are written in folders. At the end of Festival, all wishes are burned together Bamboo Trees. The tradition says that your wishes will be come true, as soon as the smoke reach the stars.

Art.Dinardo has contributed a photo to this story.

marina vrgs

at 16:01 on August 15th, 2008

actually, those papers in which people write their wishes are called "tanzaku".

it's a beautiful festival, so colorful and warm!

ALINE AIBA roupas divertidas

at 01:46 on August 16th, 2008

I'm Brazilian, from São Paulo. And this festival happens here every year. And this year it was so especial because we are comemorating de 100year os japaneses imigration in Brazil!
Any more information: http://www.flickr.com/people/aline_aiba/

ALINE AIBA roupas divertidas has contributed a photo to this story.

womblue

at 18:57 on August 18th, 2008

Photos: Jul 5, 2008/Hiratsuka, Kanagawa
Star Festival 08 in Hiratsuka (JuL4~7)

Many girls in beautiful mazarine yukata(also other colors) were there.
And there were a lot of street stores which sold such various thing as snacks, drinks and toys.
We often walk and see decorations while eating.

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