Asagaya Pearl Center Tanabata 2017
Asagaya Pearl Center celebrates Tanabata in August. Isn’t that strange? Most places in Japan hold it in July. But not here. It follows the old Japanese calendar. They do it twice a year. That’s great for festival lovers.
Do you know the venue, Asagaya Pearl Center? It’s one of Suginami Ward’s many shopping arcades. The atmosphere is retro and laidback.
They put on a four-day show for Tanabata (also known as the Star Festival). It is a little different. Giant papier mache dolls and traditional decorations hang from its one-kilometer-long roof. Color and creativity go wild.
Walking the arcade’s length takes time during the festival as it gets crowded. But grab something to eat and drink from the stalls along the route. Then look up and enjoy the dolls.
In 2017, many great dolls adorned Asagaya Pearl Center. Winnie the Pooh and Orihime (the princess from the Tanabata story) were in that group. Sizes varied. Massive ones, several meters long, hung next to small ones.
A few, like Doraemon, Thomas the Tank Engine, and Anpanman, hung in their regular spots. This time, Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean and Pinocchio debuted. Kids pointed and laughed at Gru and his Despicable Me minions.
Timing was my problem in 2017. My schedule only had Saturday open. Weekends are busy for this festival. Most people have a day off and want something to do. Mums and dads with kids, couples, and people with cameras jammed the path to see the dolls. Oh, regular shoppers came, too! Go on a weekday to avoid the congestion.
I recommend Asagaya Pearl Center for Tanabata. The papier mâché are something different. It’s a fun family event. Leave any questions and comments below.
Rohan Gillett
Rohan has been photographing Tokyo since 2011. He shoots it with his Canon EOS R5.
For more event articles, look at:
- External Asagaya Tanabata 2017 Japanese websites