Shonan Hiratsuka Tanabata Festival

The Tanabata Festival is held throughout the city, centering on the Hiratsuka Station North Exit shopping street. It is one of the three major Tanabata festivals in Japan and is a large and very popular festival. The main shopping street is lined with food stalls, and the large Tanabata decorations on the arcade are the highlight of the festival. The festival is crowded with many tourists every year. In the evening, the decorations are lit up, creating an even more beautiful and powerful scene. Enjoy the once-a-year Tanabata festival while wearing a yukata and eating food from the food stalls. The Tanabata Festival, which heralds the arrival of summer in Shonan, is one of the largest Tanabata festivals in Japan, along with Sendai City in Miyagi Prefecture. About 500 gorgeous decorations are displayed in the central Hiratsuka area, and at night the lights are turned on to create a fantastic atmosphere. The festival is also enlivened by a parade and more than 400 stalls offering a wide variety of Shonan delicacies.