July 7th is Tanabata, Yukata, and Somen Day. Connecting wishes on a starry night: three traditions and new summer memories.

Early July, when powerful sunlight occasionally peeks through the gaps in the rainy season clouds.
Looking up at the night sky, the stars twinkle with a refreshing coolness, and the season has arrived where the full energy of summer begins to fill the air.

July 7th is, as everyone knows, 'Tanabata' (the Star Festival).
At the same time, it is actually a special day where beautiful Japanese traditions overlap, as it is also 'Yukata Day' and 'Somen Day'.
It is the perfect day to pause in the midst of your busy daily life and ask your heart, 'How do I want to spend my time?'

Your wishes don't have to be grand dreams.
For example, 'I want to praise myself a little more today' or 'I want to spend a delicious time with my family'—I feel that such modest wishes are what warmly illuminate our lives right now.
Even if you cannot prepare perfect Tanabata decorations, why not join me for a peaceful day that feels like lighting a small lamp in your heart?

Why is July 7th 'Tanabata, Yukata, and Somen Day'? Star legends and the wisdom of our ancestors to overcome the summer.

Why do 'Tanabata, Yukata, and Somen Day' overlap?
There is a very romantic story from our ancestors who tried to connect the stars in the heavens with our daily lives using a single, thin 'thread'.

The roots of Tanabata lie in an ancient Chinese event called 'Kikkoden'.
Since Orihime (the Weaver Star) was a master weaver, this began as a tradition where young girls would offer needles and five-colored threads to the stars in the night sky, praying, 'May I become skilled at sewing and the arts.'
Please read this article for more details.

Based on this history of 'weaving (fabric)', the Japan Yukata Association designated July 7th as 'Yukata Day'.
It is a day to wear cool yukata and remember the heart of cherishing clothing, with the wish that people enjoy fashion in yukata and gratitude toward the goddess who once wove the clothes for Tanabata.

And then there is 'somen', the traditional food for the Tanabata event.
It is actually a transformed version of a snack called 'sakubei' that was introduced from China during the Nara period, made by twisting flour into rope shapes.
In an old book called the 'Engishiki', which records court rituals, there is a record that 'eating sakubei on the day of Tanabata prevents illness (malaria) for that year,' and it was eaten as medicine to ward off evil spirits.
Over time, this evolved to be thinner and more beautiful, leading to 'somen' which is likened to Orihime's 'white weaving thread' or the 'murmuring of the Milky Way,' and it carries the meaning of wishing for longevity and good health.

In other words, July 7th is not just a festival day, but...
'A day of tuning to beautifully and precisely align all aspects of our lives—clothing, food, and shelter—with the brilliance of the stars, wishing for health and the improvement of our skills with long, thin somen, and never forgetting our gratitude for our clothing.'
That is what it was.

A relaxing starry-sky tea time

Why not cool off with some smooth-textured somen?

Instead of just boiling it, simply adding toppings like star-shaped okra, bell peppers, and shredded egg garnish will instantly turn your dining table into a stage for a story.
For tea, have some cold sencha that evokes the scent of bamboo leaves.

Just by focusing on the sensation of the coldness soaking into your body, your mind will quietly settle.
The sound of slurping somen and the sound of ice clinking in the bowl.

Just by enjoying the layering of such sounds, you should feel the fatigue of the day gently melting away.

Natural stones that connect the wishes of the heavens and make your talents shine

We introduce natural stones that resonate deeply with the sparkle of the Tanabata starry sky and the energy of beautiful artisan handiwork, bringing a dignified axis to your daily life and wonderful opportunities for the second half of the year.

・Lapis Lazuli
A sacred stone with golden stars (pyrite) scattered across a deep indigo blue, as if it were a direct reflection of the night sky.
It gives you the power to see your inner truth.
Long loved as the 'Stone of Kings,' wearing it on the pure night of Tanabata makes it a powerful messenger that delivers your heartfelt wishes straight to the heavens.

・Moonstone
A stone with a soft, pale light that emerges like the moon floating in the night sky.
It gently protects the delicate and rich sensibility like that of Orihime, calms the waves of emotion that tend to be disturbed by the summer heat and irritation, and brings deep peace of mind and love.

・Crystal (Clear Quartz)
An all-purpose rock crystal that purifies everything.
Transparent crystal, which is like the pure murmuring of the Milky Way itself, washes away the summer evil spirits and old stagnation accumulated in your home, tuning it into a clear space.

Lapis lazuli and moonstone have properties that are a bit delicate regarding strong direct summer sunlight and long-term washing in water.
On the night of Tanabata, please take them off so they don't get wet while cooking somen, and at night, let them have a gentle 'starlight bath or moonlight bath' by the window, or pass them quickly through the smoke of incense burned at home to refresh them gently.

Ways to enjoy without spending money: origami stars and heart-felt strips of paper

You don't need to go to a special place, and you don't need to have magnificent bamboo leaves at home.
Instead of going out of your way to buy expensive decorations, why not try folding stars using paper you have at home or wrapping paper you would otherwise throw away?
If the stars have uneven shapes, that is exactly where the warmth of handmade items comes from.
On your tanzaku strips, I recommend writing not just the dreams you want to come true, but also 'the small, good things that happened today'.
The time you spend with your children choosing 'which color star is best' becomes an invaluable, precious memory that connects your hearts.
Here are some steps to open your five senses wide and take in the pure energy of the Star Festival.

・'Tanzaku Meditation'
Even if you don't have bamboo, please try writing your wishes on small pieces of paper.
They are not for anyone else to see.
Write down your true feelings and release them into the sky within your heart.
Just doing that will make your heavy heart feel a little lighter.

・Wearing the comfort of a 'Yukata'
If you don't have a yukata, try tidying up your pajamas and wearing them with a little extra care as if they were a yukata, or try folding your favorite clothes or handkerchiefs that always protect your family with a little extra care (sense of touch).
Just by being conscious of 'Japanese attire,' your movements will slow down, and you can savor a luxury of the heart.
By simply saying in your heart, 'Thank you for always protecting my body comfortably,' the 'protective energy' dwelling in your clothes will wake up, and it will gently purify the aura you wear.

・Adding one 'star shape' to your somen
How about cold somen noodles for dinner tonight? (Sense of taste).
When you slice okra into rounds, the cross-section becomes a cute 'star' shape, doesn't it?
Try placing that gently on top of the Milky Way of your somen.
Alternatively, try cutting out just one star shape from a slice of ham or a thin omelet (sense of sight).
That small, gentle extra effort will instantly turn your usual dining table into a brilliant power spot.

・Taking a deep breath while bathing in 'starlight' by the window at night
Even if you cannot see them due to rain or clouds, Orihime and Hikoboshi, and the beautiful Milky Way, are always flowing behind the clouds.
Open the window a little, feel the summer night breeze (sense of touch), look up at the night sky, and take a deep breath.
Just like the biorhythms of the sea I mentioned before in the 'Day of Waves' talk about soothing emotional waves, by surrendering yourself to the great cycle of the universe, your daily pressures will simply fade away.

Making the warm protection of the stars your ally and wishing upon a star

Even if you cannot see the stars because of clouds, the story is always continuing beyond the sky.
Even if we don't see visible results right away, every single effort you have woven continues to shine somewhere, just like the stars.

It is okay if you cannot decorate with bamboo leaves, or if your somen toppings are simple.
Just exhale deeply at night and pray for one second in your head, 'May my whole family spend the second half of the year in good health without any major illnesses.'
Even just that is a wonderful and deeply lovable way to spend 'Tanabata,' where you have offered a gentle prayer to the cycle of the stars.
Just as Orihime and Hikoboshi meet, may this also be a night where we can quietly meet our own hearts.
Under the starry sky, I feel as though everything about our imperfect, bumpy daily lives is somehow forgiven.
July 7th, the day of Tanabata, Yukata, and Somen.
May your wishes be gently carried by the night breeze and reach their destination.

How will you all be spending Tanabata?
Please let me know in the comments or with a 'like'♡.

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