We Are Tomodachi Summer 2017

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4All over Japan, countless festivals large and small known as matsuri are held each year, with estimates putting the number of events between 100,000 and 300,000.Here in Miyagi Prefecture, there is a long history and tradition of holding a diverse range of festivals.EATVISITINVESTThis is JapanSendai Tanabata Festival — August 6 – 8, 2017This traditional summer celebration is counted as one of the “Three Great Festivals” of the Tohoku region. Sendai’s festival for Tanabata, or Star Festival, is characterized by colorful bamboo decorations that brighten up the shopping arcades of the city to delight the 2 million visitors who come from all over Japan to see the celebration.Ishinomaki River Opening Festival Fireworks Display — August 1, 2017Around 6,000 fireworks will light up the sky at this festival in 2017. The festival began as a way for the people to show gratitude for the blessings they receive from the river and to honor their ancestors, and even through times of disaster it has been held every year for the past 90 years.Festivals inMiyagiSendai CityIshinomaki CityShiogama CityMiyagi