Okayama University Celebrates Tanabata

July 05, 2012

Okayama University held its Tanabata festival on the evening of July 4 on the grounds of the university hall at Tsushima. The theme of this year’s festival was “Heart-to-heart: Connecting and reaching out to others,” and the event was brimming with summer fun for students and local residents alike.
Student organization “Li☆Luck” once again organized a range of activities to bring the university closer to the community—the fourth time they have been involved with organization. A special stage erected in the hall was the scene of a steady stream of revelers doing the Uraja dance—everyone from university students through to children from Okakita Daycare Center had a go. There was also the traditional “hit the watermelon while blindfolded” game and a raucous game of bingo. In keeping with Tanabata tradition, the venue was festooned with bamboo tree decorations. Many of the children in attendance took the opportunity to have Okayama University’s international students help them write their Tanabata wishes in English before hanging them on the bamboo branches.
Typical festival cuisine such as yakisoba (stir-fried noodles) and kakigori (shaved ice) proved popular, as did yoyo fishing, and it was wonderful to see students and families, many clad in yukata robes, having the time of their lives.


< Photo > Students perform the Uraja dance


< Photo > Children write their summer wishes to be hung on bamboo trees