TsukuBlog

July 7 is the “Tanabata,” and people write their wishes on colorful pieces of rectangle paper and hang them on bamboo plants in Japan. If your kids attend daycares and schools in Japan, they might’ve already done so at their daycares and schools last week, but not all places do that.

Making Tanabata kazari or decoration is very easy if you and your kids are interested in trying out this Asian tradition. If you have origami (colored paper), string and scissors, then you are set! Oh, but where should you go for nice bamboo plants? The easiest way to get them is to ask someone if they have bamboo plants in their yard or neighborhood, but if that’s no an option for you, then you can go to 牛久自然観察の森(Ushiku Shizen Kanzatsu-no Mori) or Ushiku Nature Sanctuary in Ushiku City to get free bamboo grass for Tanabata. Ushiku Nature Sanctuary is closed on Mondays, but you can go there anytime between tomorrow and Sunday, July 8, to get free bamboo grass.

Click here to see what a typical Tanabata Kazari looks like (from Japanese Wiki)
Tanabata (wikipedia, English)
Tanabata (wikipedia, Japanese)

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Ushiku Nature Sanctuary
Admission: free
Map: http://map.livedoor.com/map/?ZM=10&MAP=E140.10.40.4N35.57.39.7&SZ=740%2C450
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