When: Early August Dates: First Friday, Saturday and Sunday of August City: Oita Website: Oita Tanabata Website (Japanese), City Website (Japanese), Oita Events (English) Description: Oita city's shopping and restaurant district receives a Tanabata makeover with events being held in the main festival square. The Oita Tanabata festival includes Funai Pacchin, Chikirin Bayashi dance, Taiko drumming and more.
Tanabata Festival and Funai Pacchin (early August) Many JETs participate in the Tanabata festival during the first week of August every year. Huge floats are carried down the main road in downtown Oita as people dance on the street. It is said to be the biggest Tanabata festival in Western Japan.