Gallery of the 71st Shonan Hiratsuka Tanabata Festival and Tanabata Odori Parade 2023 (Video of Shonan Hiratsuka Orihime) released

Last updated: July 9, 2023 at 1:34 AM

The Shonan Hiratsuka Tanabata Festival is a traditional Tanabata festival held annually in Hiratsuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, and this year marks the 71st time it has been held. This festival is an event to celebrate the Japanese Tanabata (July 7th) tradition and to enjoy the local culture and arts.

The venue of the festival is decorated with gorgeous and beautiful Tanabata decorations. The bamboo trees are decorated with colorful strips of paper and decorations, creating a landscape that looks like constellations floating in the sky. Huge strips of paper, origami works, and objects are also exhibited, and the creative design is a sight to see.

At the Shonan Hiratsuka Tanabata Festival, many stalls and stalls are set up, and you can enjoy local specialties and gourmet food. Street food such as shaved ice, takoyaki, and yakisoba, which are summer traditions, are also popular. Music and dance performances are also held by local groups and school students, creating a lively atmosphere in the venue.

One of the distinctive events of the Shonan Hiratsuka Tanabata Festival is the tanzaku knot. Participants write their wishes and thoughts on strips of paper and tie them to bamboo trees. This event has been practiced since ancient times, and is held with the hope that one's wishes will come true. It is a special moment for those who wish for matchmaking and happiness.

The Shonan Hiratsuka Tanabata Festival is an important event that continues to preserve the local culture and traditions, and is a fun festival for locals and tourists alike. Beautiful decorations, street food, music and dance performances combine to create a unique once-a-year experience.

I let ChatGPT write the above w

Now, for the above, here are my additions.

The dates for the 71st Shonan Hiratsuka Tanabata Festival are as follows.

Three days from July 7th (Friday) to 9th (Sunday), 5th year of Reiwa
The Tanabata Festival ends at 8:00 pm (7:00 pm on the last day)

About bamboo decoration of this year, it becomes approximately 363 exhibitions throughout the city. Compared to the heyday of 25 years ago (around 1998), the number of exhibitors has decreased sharply due to the decline of the shopping district, and the overall impression is that bamboo decorations have increased in number.

For the "Shonan Hiratsuka Tanabata Festival Parade" to be held on the first day, there used to be a flashy parade with Miss Tanabata (Orihime) riding in a convertible led by JK marching baton twirling and Boy Scouts. Currently, Shonan Hiratsuka Orihime, who leads the group, dances the Bon Odori (Hiratsuka Tanabata Odori), followed by the BBA and GGE dance teams. It may be related to the budget of the city, but unfortunately compared to the heyday, it pales considerably.
The highlights of the parade are probably Orihime's dance and cute kids' teams (Sozen Elementary School, Hoshikko, etc.) (my opinion).

Also, stalls and stalls have been moved to Mitsukedai Park from this year. It is far from the venue of the Tanabata Festival (Shonan Star Mall shopping street), and the closing time at 6 pm is added.
As a result, the restaurants in the shopping district were flooded with visitors in the evening, and queues were formed at each restaurant. It is no longer possible to enjoy the style of visiting the venue while eating and drinking at stalls and stalls as before. This measure will lead to an improvement in the profit of the shopping district, but it seems that it has become an event that leaves dissatisfaction among the visitors.

Now, I will upload the venue of "Shonan Hiratsuka Tanabata Festival" and "Shonan Hiratsuka Tanabata Festival Parade 2023 (Video)" in the gallery below. "Shonan Hiratsuka Orihime" is cast for both.