Tanabata Festival

Do you know "tanabata" festival? It's one of traditional festivals in Japan. It's said that the prince and the princess who cannot meet can finally meet only on July 7th. It's the only chance they can meet; however, it has to be a clear night. Since the Milky Way separates them (they can't cross the river!), they can meet only at a clear night when you can see the Milky Way clearly.

Unfortunately, July 7th is usually cloudy or rainy every year. Tonight is cloudy. Man, it's a tragedy...

Well, we write a wish on a piece of paper, called tanzaku, and hung it in a bamboo tree. This year I wished quick recovery from the earthquake.

Today lots of small kids and their mom got together and celebrated the tanabata festival and had lots of fun. All the kids wore jinbei, which is clothing with a yukata top and shorts, and they were really cute. But only one of the others and I brought yukatas to the place, and of course I put it on right away. I put a yukata on one of a Japanese moms, one Filipino woman, and one Thai woman. They seemed to enjoy wearing it. One thing surprised me was that the Filipino woman knew how to fold a yukata! I gave her some advice and she quickly learned it! Amazing isn't it? Not many Japanese people know how to fold a yukata, but a non-Japanese person knew more! I hope she remembers it!