Zojoji Tanabata Festival 2022
The Zojoji Tanabata Festival returned in 2022. In English, it’s called the Star Festival. I doubt there are better places for it in Tokyo. The temple is beautiful, and Tokyo Tower soars above it in the background. And for this event, there were 3700 candles in the courtyard! It was a beautiful sight. The photographers went crazy!
The candles had an important role. They were the stars of the Milky Way, which plays a central part in the Tanabata story. It was a perfect representation in the evening under almost cloudless skies.
There was a big crowd for Zojoji Tanabata Festival 2022. Every man and his dog had turned up. Many had obviously come straight after work. Some had brought dates or came with their families. It was difficult taking photos from the middle of that mass of people.
In pre-pandemic years the candles started near the Sangedatsumon Gate to the temple. This year they were only on the two staircases. So there were fewer this time, but it wasn’t a problem. The display still looked like the Milky Way. I got the feeling the crowd was satisfied.
What is the Tanabata story?
There once was a princess named Ori. She was the daughter of Tentei (Sky King). Her job was to weave clothes. She did this on the bank of the Amanogawa (Milky Way). Her father loved her work because she was so good at it.
Ori worked so hard that she had no time for her love life. This worried her father, who arranged for her to meet a prospective partner. That was Hikoboshi, a cowherd. He lived and worked on the other side of the Amanogawa.
When the two young people met, they fell instantly in love and married. But that caused some problems in the heavens. Ori no longer weaved, and Hikoboshi let his cows stray all over the sky.
Tentei separated the two lovers across the Amanogawa. He also forbade them from seeing each other. Ori was overwhelmed. The loss of her husband caused her so much grief. She begged her father to let them meet.
Her father relented and allowed the two to meet annually, on the 7th day of the 7th month. There was a condition: she had to finish her quota of weaving. And that was the origin of the Tanabata festival.
Photography at Zojoji Tanabata Festival 2022
It is a little difficult because there isn’t much light. Candles are notoriously dim, and the light of Tokyo Tower is far away. Here are my tips:
- Photograph with your camera wide open.
- Put ISO as high as possible but try to keep noise and grain under control.
- Use a low shutter speed, but watch out for blur. People who have IBIS on their cameras are so lucky!
- If you want photos with few people in them, turn up early. I mean, about 4:30 pm, and you’ll probably be able to get a front spot. You’ll have to stand there until sunset when the candles are lit, but it is better than being stuck at the back of the crowd.
Where is Zojoji?
Zojoji is close to Tokyo Tower. Read more about the temple in this article. It has the information visitors need.
Conclusion
Zojoji Tanabata Festival 2022 was great. The layout of the candles as the stars in the Milky Way was on point. It was a splendid night in the temple’s courtyard, with Tokyo Tower providing the perfect backdrop. Leave questions and comments below.
More festival articles:
External related articles:
- Zojoji Temple (official website)
6 thoughts on “Zojoji Tanabata Festival 2022”
Thank you for the great story of Tanabata!
By the way, I need to mention that annoying new constructing building by the Tokyo Tower..
It is extremely annoying tell you the truth.. One day I was at the Mori Tower to take the epic Tokyo Tower shot (where TT locates in the middle of the photo) and because of that building I had to alter the angle (now it’s impossible to have a photo of the TT in the dead center..).
Thank you for your awesome blog!
Hey Joe,
Yes, I think someone in city planning didn’t worry too much when they approved that new building (Tokyo Torch I think it is). It has ruined many photographs with Zojoji and Tokyo Tower in them. The only solution is, as you found, working out new angles. That is a real pain, but it’s what we have to work with.
I’m glad you are enjoying the blog.
Cheers,
Rohan
I came across this blog when I searched for Yukio Mishima’s burial place. Love your pictures. Great blog! Now I miss Japan even more.
Thanks Mirma! Tama cemetery is a great place for a walk. It is so beautiful and has a lot of history. I hope you get to visit it one day. Please visit Tokyo in Pics again. I try to add articles as often as I can.
Even if I was not there. But I can imagine how the beauty of the star festival.
And the story behind that was so romantic and make me goose bumps.
Thank you for dropping by and your kind comments Mirasyahda. Yes, it is a beautiful festival. Zojoji is such a great place for it. You should see it one day. Hopefully, someone will guide you there!