Philadelphians celebrate the Japanese holiday Tanabata at the Shofuso house with origami crafts, tours, taiko drumming

From Philly and the Pa. suburbs to South Jersey and Delaware, what would you like WHYY News to cover? Let us know!

Philadelphians gathered at the Shofuso house in West Fairmount Park on Saturday to celebrate Tanabata, a Japanese holiday that commemorates the story of two stars, Vega and Altair.

Guests toured the historic house, participated in origami crafts and watched traditional Japanese performances and listened to storytellers.

Tanabata is celebrated on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month. A common custom is to write wishes on small pieces of colored paper called tanzaku and hang them on bamboo trees.

Candice Graham, 38, a Philadelphia resident, said she began working at the Shofuso house in 2017 because she “always had an interest in Japanese culture.”

She said that the Tanabata celebration is one of her favorites, despite being a smaller event that the facility hosts.

“It’s just really colorful and people get to write their hopes and wishes and dreams down,” Graham said. “I just think that’s something that’s something very sweet.”

As part of the festivities, visitors watched Casual Fifth, a taiko drumming and dance ensemble of five performers.

Akiira Di Sandro, 26, of Philadelphia, began playing taiko in college before joining the organization in 2020.

“A lot of folk festivals have taiko as a way to get people moving and make it a cheerful thing,” Di Sandro said.

She said that the performers began to collaborate with the Shofuso house as a way to spread awareness about their art form and bring more attention to their taiko ensemble.

Diya Govender, a 21-year-old international student from South Africa, said she was thrilled to be there.

She drove all the way from Rehoboth Beach, Delaware to attend the festival.

“I’ve always been interested and fascinated about Japanese culture,” Govender said. “I watch a lot of traditional dramas and stuff, and I’ve always wanted to experience Tanabata in Japan, so this is the closest thing.”

She said her favorite part of the performance was the line dance.

David Katz, 30, and Sudesha Samantha, 28, traveled from Baltimore, Maryland to attend the festival on a “spontaneous trip.”

Samantha said she was looking forward to admiring the art as she “loves Asian art and culture.”

“Traditional events like this are just so rare to find,” Katz said, adding that it’s “a lot of effort” to find people who are “willing to learn how these instruments work” as well as how they “are used and can be reproduced.”