Google Doodle Celebrates Tanabata 2025, the Star Festival in Japan

This annual Google Doodle honors Japan’s Star Festival, also known as Tanabata (たなばた or 七夕; meaning “Evening of the Seventh”)! In this annual Tanabata Doodle, Orihime and Hikoboshi are shown meeting in the Milky Way. Every year on the seventh day of the seventh month, the Milky Way splits apart, allowing star-crossed lovers Hikoboshi (the cowherd) and Orihime (the weaver maiden) to briefly meet.

Originating from the Chinese Qixi Festival, Tanabata sometimes called the Star Festival (星祭り, Hoshimatsuri), is a Japanese celebration. The meeting of the deities Orihime and Hikoboshi, symbolized by the constellations Vega and Altair, respectively, is celebrated.

Surrounded by flying magpies and hanging decorations known as tanzaku (paper strips), the artwork portrays the couple’s romantic embrace. Writing a wish on these colorful pieces of paper and attaching them to bamboo trees is a common Tanabata custom. The reuniting of the lovers is thought to bring good fortune and fulfill wishes. Exquisite festivals featuring thrilling games and delicious food are held throughout Japan in places like Sendai and Hiratsuka. To teach children about the roots of the celebration, many schools often reenact the Tanabata story.

According to legend, these lovers can only meet once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month of the lunisolar calendar, and the Milky Way keeps them apart. The initial celebrations of Tanabata start on July 7 of the Gregorian calendar, while the exact date varies by region of the nation. Throughout July and August, the event takes place on different days.

The Chinese Qixi (Qiqiao) Festival is the ancestor of the Tanabata festival. It honors the annual reunion of the cowherd and the weaver girl, two star-crossed lovers. According to legend, the Silver River kept them apart since their love was not allowed. Once a year, on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, the lovers can get back together. The Milky Way is symbolized by the Silver River, and the stars Altair and Vega stand in for the lovers.

In the 8th century, Empress Kōken introduced the celebration to Japan. In Japan, the cowherd is called Hikoboshi, and the weaver girl is called Orihime. The holiday’s initial date was determined by Japan’s then-current lunisolar calendar.

Tanabata was changed to July 7 when the country adopted the Gregorian calendar because it falls on the seventh day of the seventh month. Some regions, meanwhile, celebrate it in August, which is closer to the original date.

In Japan, Tanabata festivals vary in size depending on the region. A large number of festivals feature carnival games, parades, and decoration competitions. In order to honor Tanabata, many people write wishes on small pieces of paper and hang them from bamboo, which is then burned or sent afloat at the end of the event.

Large-scale Tanabata events are held throughout Japan, mostly along streets and shopping malls that are decked up with vibrant, enormous streamers. From August 6–8, Sendai hosts the most well-known Tanabata festival. Two of the biggest Tanabata festivities in the Kantō region take place in Asagaya, Tokyo, just before the Obon holiday begins in mid-August, and in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa, around July 7. Around the first weekend in July, São Paulo, Brazil, and in early August, Los Angeles, California, both have Tanabata festivals.

Most of Tanabata celebrations include Tanabata decoration contests, while regional variations exist. Parades and Miss Tanabata competitions are possible other events.

Similar to other Japanese matsuri, there are a lot of outdoor stalls that contribute to the joyous ambiance while selling food and offering carnival games.

The Tanabata Festival is frequently celebrated at Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea with a welcoming parade that features Mickey Mouse as Hikoboshi and Minnie Mouse as Orihime.