It’s our last Tanabata Festival in our beloved town of Fussa. We had to leave with a big bang! We prepared our yukatas and enlisted friends to do the same. It was so much fun to immerse into the spirit of the “Star Festival.” Originally, the celebration commemorates the annual meeting of a pair of star-crossed lovers. But for us, it’s a chance to revel in the local foods and enjoy some traditional performances.

It was hot, but the snow cones made it bearable. This year, crazy fries (long fries drizzled with your choice of cheeses, mentaiko or chocolate syrup) were a big hit. The guys were wild for the steak yakitori. They’d get a couple, walk three steps and return for five more.

But my absolute favorite thing was watching the kids in their tiny human yukatas enjoying the games and cotton candy. They were so cute!