NW26 Tradition | Los Angeles Tanabata Festival Displaying 50 Local Hand-Made Kazari and 12 Giant Kazari from Sendai, Japan in Little Tokyo During Nisei Week Festival | August 15-23
The 18th annual Los Angeles Tanabata Festival takes place at the Noguchi Plaza of the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center, 244 South San Pedro Street in Little Tokyo, from Saturday, August 15, through Sunday, August 23, 2026. The display of 50 local mand-made tanabata kazari and 12 giant kazari from Sendai, Japan are seen from the plaza. The Los Angeles Tanabata Festival is a part of the Nisei Week Japanese Festival.
Japan’s tanabata ritual went back to 1,300 years ago from Chinese mythology. Two stars represent two loves, a weaving princess and a cowherd, separated by the Milky Way. They can meet only once a year, on the 7th Day of July, and this is the basis of the Tanabata Festival.
The Los Angeles Tanabata Festival was started at Little Tokyo in Los Angeles in 2009 by Yoshihito Yonezawa, then the president of Miyagi Prefectural Association, with the sponsorships from the Los Angeles Public Safety Association, the Japanese Prefectural Association, and the Nisei Week Foundation.
The Los Angeles Tanabata Festival features not only local hand-made tanabata kazari but also magnificent giant seven-foot tall tanabata kazari from the Sendai Tanabata Festival in July in Japan every year.
This year, five giant tanabata kazari were sent from Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, to Los Angeles with the sponsorship of Shiramatsuga Monaka confectionery company in Sendai, Japan. The city of Sendai is known for hosting the largest Tanabata Festival in Japan with over 7,000 tanabata kazai hanging throughout the city. The five giant tanabata kazari sent from Sendai were the winning kazari from the 2026 Sendai Tanabata Festival.
Under the theme of “Love” in 2026, 18 pieces are submitted to individuals/families category, 4 pieces are submitted to schools/non-profits category, 4 pieces are submitted to kenjinkai (prefectural association) category.
Prizes will be awarded in each category: $100 for first place, $50 for second place, $30 for third place. The public will vote on the most creative kzari, which will receive the People’s Choice Award with $100 prize.
For more information, visit https://latanabata.org