SENDAI--Hundreds of thousands of people visited the quake-hit city of Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, over the weekend for the Sendai Tanabata Festival, one of the most famous festivals in Japan.
SENDAI--Hundreds of thousands of people visited the quake-hit city of Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, over the weekend for the Sendai Tanabata Festival, one of the most famous festivals in Japan.
The city's major avenues were adorned with "Fukinagashi" streamers symbolizing the beautiful yarns woven by the deity Orihime, who, according to legend, is separated from her lover, Hikoboshi, for all of year except Tanabata.
While the event usually celebrates a divine love story, this year's event focused on commemorating the March 11 disaster and rebuilding the region.
Thousands of origami cranes made by local school children and "tanzaku" prayer papers asking for a return to normalcy in the area adorned the city's thoroughfares.
A 21-year-old woman, who moved from her hometown of Ishinomaki to Sendai after her house was flooded by the March 11 tsunami, said she was encouraged by the messages of encouragement to the disaster areas.
The Sendai Tanabata Festival Support Association, the organizer of the event, expected 1.75 million visitors to this year's event. The festival ran from Aug. 6-8.