Japanese Tanabata Star Festival

[djdegroot77]

I am going to be showing your delightful video to several music classes of Second Graders in Dallas, Texas next week. We are enjoying our blooming trees, and our textbook has a Japanese song about your festival. The children will sing the song, and then watch your video as they make their paper wishes. Thank you!

[CptEddyPrice]

she can read Kanji so fluently and I still can't :(

[MrJLJapan]

わたしは あなたの ビデオお あいして かんしゃの い です。

[MrJLJapan]

わたしは あなたの ビデオ お あいして かんしゃ の い です。

[Kaira66222]

This festival looks amazing and soooo beautiful!!! Someday i want to live in japan, the culture is just so interesting! ^_^ What a cute video.

[CakeTaku]

Yatterman~

[narwhalwarhol]

Thank you so much! This video is great!

[wowpat449]

lol this is pound for pound, probably one of the sweetest videos i've ever seen.

[crazy4CoD1]

this is shit vid soooo gay

[KawaiiCanter127]

I love your videos

I love Japan and your videos make it so easy to learn about the culture.

[BladeOfForsaken]

DID SHE SURVIVE!! err i mean hope she suvived the earthquake

[Uhiwaka82]

Emily is a very good writer, from what i can see from her wish card :)

[QueenieZ]

Aww, she's so pretty in her kimono! I hope her wish came true. :3

[SMPsis]

Is the whole tanabata day a religious thing? I want to make sure so that there wont be any wrong messages sent out if I take part in it.

[softypapa]

@SMPsis　This festival likely has its origins in religion though for many it is quite secular in the way people perform and think of the ceremony. I hope that you are able to enjoy Tanabata festival for yourself. Thank you for watching and commenting! ~Kurt :-)

[yellowfellow]

when she started writing in japanese i was like OH SHIT

its amazing how much information children can learn.

sad to see that educational systems do not devote themselves to teaching children multiple languages when they are young

[eldritchcoyote]

@yellowfellow I was just as much amazed by her skill with the permanent marker... <<; My own writings in English looks like splotchy scribbles in comparison ^^;

[wdermid]

That put a smile to my face :)

[superlicious9010]

that was soo cute i loved it i'm planing on go to college in japan and that was so awesome i wish i get to see a festival like that when i go and your daughter is so cute i love her kimono

[taek78]

Magic!

[pinkpearlluchia2288]

hey hey i heard that this happen on the seventh night of july,and thus a piece was composed of this song!the piece,seventh night of july,is composed by a 16 year old.=)

i lubs this festival!!

[ExxmeOk]

que hermosa luna :D

[bubbleprincess16]

I always wanted to see a real life Festival in Japan it's so beautiful! I wish i could go there.And thanks for showing the video so i can know what this Festival looks like!Thanks so much!

[jarostone]

wow obama made me laugh ^.^

[krzypilot13]

Thanks for this video. I'm doing research on this festival because I will play with my taiko group for the first time at a tanabata festival in California, USA. Now I know how to make the wish paper.

[XxDeidarasXgirl56xX]

this is very interesting! aww emily looks so cute in her kimono ^_^

[yummeeceline]

emily looks especially pretty in the kimono! i love it when she teaches arts and crafts at the table :) i love how you filmed the festival, i've always wanted to see how a real festival would seem in japan!

[softypapa]

Hello yummeeceline, I hope that you will have a chance to visit and explore Japan yourself someday. Please let me know if you every have any questions about traveling and exploring in Japan. -Kurt :-)

[softypapa]

Hello ShinobiWolf2012, Thank you for your nice words. It was fun adding that little moonshot at the end. Emily and I saw the moon as we got off the train and I couldn't resist adding it in. -Kurt :-)

[ShinobiWolf2012]

Great vid Kurt, very interesting festival & amazing moon shot at the end, perfect closing capture!

[hiragana3]

七夕はクリスマスのように世界に広まるといいな～

[tbone1143]

Great video Kurt, Emily had such a wonderful time at the festival. Her English is improving very well. She is a lovely girl, you are surely blessed.

5 stars for this one........ Doug :o)

[softypapa]

Hello Doug, This sure was a fun day and I am delighted that we could share it with you via YouTube. -Kurt :-)

[FeileCase]

COOL!~ I especially like the moon at the end :)

Thanks

[amydien09]

Another great video from you!

Thanks for sharing! I hope you post more matsuri videos....they're quite interesting to watch =)

[JapanBot]

great video 5 star.

[Peekingduck]

The festivals are very nice around your area it seems.

Looked like you guys were having a pretty good time.

Thanks for uploading.

[ShinichiroTV]

田舎の祭りは風情があって良い！

[KUSANAGIJOY]

Thank you for your video clip like usual.

I really enjoyed it.

My sweet memories came back that my daughter who's adult already but when she was still young.. I wish if I could back at that time again..

anyway thanks always.

Joy

[softypapa]

Hello Joy, Thank you for your comments. I was moved by your words about your own daughter and this makes me want to spend more time with Emily before she grows older. Thank you for sharing your wisdom. -Kurt :-)

[Demoniacuz]

Thanks again for sharing the unique cultural treasure and heritage of Japan with us, Kurt!

Watching it feels like I would've been there for myself and am watching this video now with my family on a cold winter's evening.

Special thanks to adorably cute Emily for showing us how to craft the "wishes" and - of course - you, Kurt, for sharing this experience! =)

~D

[gtpluvr]

Thanks Kurt for this wonderful video! I enjoy learning everything about Nihon and you have shown videos of many things rarely shown before about life in this beautiful nation!

[Jahar]

Oh my, I absolutely adore the Totoro and the Catbus pinatas!!! Emily looks so cute in her kimono, and it was great to see you in the traditional dress to!

It made me laugh to see the Obama head with the limo, and the sign with the slogan. Is Obama pretty big in Japan? Was there some special purpose to have that at the festival? Tanabata looks so much fun! I'm glad you both had a great time!

[tomwash1]

10 minutes of pure smiling on my part, thanks so much!

[guitar98765]

thanks a lot for this video! Really enjoyed it!

[allgoo19]

There are lots of events for kids to keep them occupied.

How nice to grow up in Japan.

Has Emily learned how to make paper crane yet?

[softypapa]

Hello allgoo19, There are indeed many activities here in Japan which help keep kids active and occupied. Emily does indeed know how to make the paper crane. I should get her to teach me. -Kurt :-)

[Luminasita]

That was so neat! From home to festival to the moon- sharp editing, Kurt! Makes me want to get off my rear and finish going through the mountain of footage I have waiting XD

I was surprised to see Obama- I imagine he had about as much to do with Tanabata as Sponge Bob and Yugio (some others I saw but couldn't pinpoint). It was neat to see the US flag though!

~Kat

[TiramisuHappy]

No Japanese can read that Tanabata poem without breaking into song! "Sasa no ha saaaara sara..." : )

This used to be one of my ALL TIME favorite festivals growing up in Japan!! Looks like the rain held up this year over there... I'm going back home next week for a 10-day visit (in almot five years!) But the weather forecast is rain, rain and some more RAIN!!!! Arrrrrgh! I thought the "uki" was usually over by this time.

BTW, what the hell does Obama have anything to do w/ Tanabata??? : (

[bottomOFair]

they say Hikoboshi really wanna see his lover and row his boat so hard then the spray fell on us as rain.

[softypapa]

Hello TiramisuHappy, Thanks you for telling us about the significance of this song to Japanese people. I was unaware that it was so meaningful to many people. I too greatly enjoy the Tanabata festival and look forward to it each year.

Regarding the rain you were right! It began raining yesterday and has been relentless ever since. I think that nature may be trying to make up for a rather dry rainy season in June.

I hope that you have a great visit next week!

Kurt :-)

[pyrix]

She's so cute in her kimono! I just wanna pick her up and hug her XD

[TiramisuHappy]

It's called a "yukata" and not "kimono."

It's a traditional summertime evening attire in Japan. A very casual version of kimono, you might say...

[pyrix]

Make that Yukata, now that I think about it. I'd forgotten briefly which one it was. Ah well, still huggable.