| When many Americans and other Westerners | | | | Orihime stopped weaving cloth for the Sky King; |
| arrive in Japan, we know little of Japan and Asia. | | | | Hikoboshi's cows strayed all over heaven. The |
| Much of what we see and experience is rooted in | | | | Sky King grew angry, putting the Milky Way |
| China and farther West to India. These roots are | | | | between Orihime and Hikoboshi. He forbade them |
| similar to the roots and heritage of our Western | | | | to meet. Orihime cried and begged her father to |
| civilization, the result of a journey of thousands of | | | | let them meet again. The Sky King said the two |
| years of European heritage traveling from ancient | | | | could meet on the seventh day of the seventh |
| Greece and Rome across Europe to North | | | | month as long as Orihime worked hard, finishing |
| America. | | | | her weaving. |
| Tanabata, the Japanese Star Festival, provides an | | | | Their first meeting was a failure; they could not |
| example of this Japanese borrowing from China | | | | cross the river; there was no bridge. Orihime cried |
| and earlier borrowings. The Princess and the | | | | and cried. A flock of magpies flew in, promising |
| Cowherd, a Chinese folktale, was the impetus | | | | her that they would make a bridge of their wings, |
| behind the Tanabata festival. The folktale is about | | | | helping her to cross the river. When the rains |
| Weaver Girl. Weaver Girl is the daughter of the | | | | come, however, the magpies cannot come. |
| Jade Emperor in heaven. Every day, Weaver Girl | | | | Orihime and Hikoboshi hope for good weather the |
| would descend from the heavens to earth to | | | | next year. If the sky is clear and there is no rain, |
| bathe, using her magical robe. She would leave her | | | | the magpies help Orihime and Hikoboshi meet. |
| magical robe on the bank, next to the stream. | | | | Just as the Japanese story looks back to the |
| One day, a cowherd saw Weaver Girl bathing. | | | | Chinese story, the Japanese festival of Tanabata |
| Falling in love with her, he stole her magic robe. | | | | looks back to Chinese festival: The Festival to |
| Weaver Girl could not return to heaven. When | | | | Plead for Skills. Both festivals celebrate the |
| Weaver Girl came out of the water, the cowherd | | | | meeting of Altair and Vega. The Chinese festival |
| grabbed her and carried her home. | | | | spread to Japan during and after the Heian period. |
| When Jade Emperor learned about Weaver Girl, | | | | As in China, the Japanese ask for skills. During the |
| he was angry, but could not act. His daughter had | | | | Edo period in Japan, boys and girls wrote their |
| fallen in love; Weaver Girl married the lowly | | | | wishes on strips of paper. Girls wished to improve |
| cowherd. Weaver Girl grew homesick; she started | | | | their sewing and craftsmanship; boys wished to |
| to miss her father. She found her magic robe and | | | | improve their handwriting. Modern day Tanabata |
| decided to visit her father. After she arrived | | | | remains a festival of wishes, be they ceremonial |
| home, the Jade Emperor called a river to help him | | | | or actual wishes. |
| keep her home. The river, the Milky Way, flowed | | | | Japan has Tanabata festivals across the country |
| across the sky. Weaver Girl could not cross the | | | | on the seventh night of the seventh lunar month, |
| river, so she could not return to her husband. The | | | | but the most famous is in Sendai, where people |
| Emperor relented, slightly. Once a year, on the | | | | traditionally use seven different kinds of |
| seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar | | | | decorations. Six of the seven decorations |
| calendar, he allows Weaver Girl and her husband, | | | | represent different wishes. Paper strips represent |
| the cowherd, to meet, creating a bridge over the | | | | wishes for good handwriting and studies. Paper |
| river for them. | | | | kimonos represent wishes for good sewing; the |
| If you know your astronomy, you can pick out | | | | kimonos also ward off accidents and bad health. |
| Weaver Girl (Vega) and the lowly cowherd (Altair). | | | | Paper cranes represent wishes for family safety, |
| On the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, | | | | health, and long life. Purses represent wishes for |
| the Milky Way appears be dimmer, enabling them | | | | good business. Nets represent wishes for good |
| to reach each other. | | | | fishing and harvests. Garbage bags represent |
| This Chinese folktale inspired a Japanese version: | | | | wishing for cleanliness and avoiding wasting |
| Orihime was the daughter of the Sky King. She | | | | resources. The final decorations are streamers; |
| wove beautiful clothes on the bank of the Milky | | | | these are the strings that Orihime used to weave |
| Way. Her father loved Orihime's cloth. She | | | | for her father. |
| worked hard every day to weave cloth for the | | | | When we watch a Tanabata festival today, we |
| Sky King. Orihime was sad; she worked all the | | | | are viewing a celebration that goes back hundreds |
| time. She would never meet anyone; Orihime | | | | and hundreds of years, across the sea to China, |
| feared she would never fall in love. The Sky King | | | | and perhaps even farther. What happened before |
| grew worried; he introduced Orihime to Hikoboshi. | | | | China has been obscured by the passage of time. |
| He was a cowherder, living and working far away | | | | Regardless of when and where Tanabata |
| on the other side of the Milky Way, the river. | | | | originated, the story is a lovely, fanciful tale. The |
| Orihime and Hikoboshi met; they fell in love; they | | | | Tanabata festival in Sendai is a lovely, fanciful |
| were married. | | | | experience. |