Tanabata

【Original】Tanabata たなばた

Japan and China both share the same folktale of The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl and celebrate their annual meeting on the Heavenly River. In various parts of Japan, activities originating from the Chinese "Qiqiao Festival" (The Festival to Plead for Skills) are held on 7th July, 7th August and 7th July on the lunar calendar. Women pray for a pair of skillful hands to improve their craftsmanship. On Wishing Bamboo, people hang five-colour paper strips, and make wishes upon the brightest stars in the summer night sky: Vega and Altair.

The five-color paper strips uses blue, red, yellow, white, and black (purple) from the ancient "Yin Yang and Five Elements Theory" to represent "wood, fire, earth, metal, and water" as well as different blessings.

Things to note:

• In order to preserve freshness and prevent collision, Toukaya wagashi is stored in -24°C freezer after production, and is shipped by Black Cat Frozen Home Delivery.
• Thaw at room temperature for about 40 minutes before eating.
• Jonamagashi is prone to drying and cracking if exposed to the air for too long. Therefore, it is recommended to keep them in the original transparent packaging box during the thawing process.
• Jonamagashi can be moved to a plate in the frozen state, and then covered with the original transparent lid. Just remove the lid before eating.