8 Facts about Japanese Valentine’s Day – Tanabata

If America catches a cold, Japan will sneeze. Japan has long been sneezing on February 14th, copying the American commercialism of Valentine’s Day. Japan, however, does have it’s own version of Valentine’s Day. It’s called Tanabata.

Here are 8 facts about Japan’s Valentine’s Day.

1. Japanese Valentine’s Day is loosely based on the Chinese Valentine’s Day.

2. Japanese Valentine’s Day is celebrated on July 7, or around August 7, or on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month of the traditional Japanese lunisolar calendar – this year August, 7th. But, for the most part 7/7 of each year is easy enough to remember.

Tanabata

3. Japanese Valentine’s Day festival spread to the general public by the early Edo period. (Early 1600s).

4. Japanese Valentine’s Day story goes something like this -  Orihime, the daughter of the Tente, wove beautiful clothes on the bank of the Milky Way – Amanogawa). Her father was happy but she was sad because she could never meet and fall in love. Concerned about his daughter, Tentei arranged for her to meet Hikoboshi (Cow Herder), who happened to live on the other side of the Amanogawa River). The two fell instantly in love and were married. Once married, Orihime stopped weaving cloth for Tentei and Hikoboshi allowed his cows to run around Heaven. Tentei separated the two lovers with the Amanogawa River. Orihime asked her father to let them meet again and he agreed and allowed them to meet on the 7th day of the 7th month if Orihime worked hard. The first time they were to meet they could not because there was no bridge. A flock of magpies responded to Orihime’s tears and promised to make a bridge with their wings so she could cross the river. When it rains, they don’t meet and the lovers have to wait till the following year.

5. Japanese celebrate Tanabata by writing wishes in the form of poetry, on tanzaku, small pieces of paper. They hangthem on bamboo, or other decorations. Their wishes are often set afloat on a river or burned after the festival.

6. Tanabata festivals in Sendai-city, Miyagi Prefecture and Hiratsuka-city, Kanagawa Prefecture are particularly well-known.

7. On Valentine’s Day in Japan (Feb 14th) only girls give chocolate to guys.

8. Men reciprocate on March 14th, a day made up by the Japanese commercialism gurus, called ‘White Day.’ All men who have received a gift from a girl in Japan on Valentine’s Day, whether out of true love or otherwise, must give a gift in return. Yeah…I once gave a girl a pair of panties in a onigiri wrapper.

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