A Message from the Sendai Tourism Board:

The Sendai Tanabata Festival is held from August 6 to 8 every year. In downtown Sendai, stores compete to see who can create the most beautiful Tanabata bamboo decorations with colorful Japanese paper (和紙 or washi). Decorative balls and strips of paper with wishes written on them are attached to the decorations. More than 2 million visitors flock to Sendai to enjoy these beautiful decorations.

Upon arrival to Sendai last night, I saw hordes of young women dressed in 浴衣 or yukata and my bus home was so crowded that I took a cab. I took the following photos at last years' festival.