Zojoji Tanabata Festival 2022

The Zojoji Tanabata Festival is a traditional Japanese celebration held every July at Zojoji Temple. It features thousands of hand-lit candles arranged like the Milky Way, set against the backdrop of Tokyo Tower. This event is a prime location for night photography and experiencing ancient Japanese folklore within a modern city setting.

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Lit lanterns line the temple stairs during Zojoji Tanabata, with Tokyo Tower glowing in the background.

The Zojoji Tanabata Festival returned in 2022. In English, it’s also called the Star Festival. I doubt there are better places for it in Tokyo. The temple was beautiful with Tokyo Tower along with the new Azabudai Hills skyscraper providing the perfect background. For this event, 3700 candles were in the courtyard creating a beautiful sight. The photographers went crazy!

The candles had an important role. They were the stars of the Milky Way, which plays a central part in the Tanabata story. It was a perfect representation in the evening under almost cloudless skies.

Hundreds of glowing paper lanterns line the stone steps of Zojoji Temple at dusk, creating a luminous path.

A huge crowd turned out for Zojoji Tanabata Festival 2022. Many had obviously come straight after work. Some had brought dates or came with their families. It was difficult taking photos from the middle of that mass of people.

Actually, I need to clarify about the candles. In pre-pandemic years, there were more than 3700, and they started near the Sangedatsumon Gate to the temple. This time, they were only on the two staircases. So there were fewer this time, but it wasn’t a problem. The display still looked like the Milky Way. I got the feeling the crowd was satisfied.

A smartphone focuses on Zojoji Temple and glowing lanterns at dusk, with Tokyo Tower in the blurred background.

The legend of Tanabata: Orihime and Hikoboshi

There once was a princess named Ori. She was the daughter of Tentei (Sky King). Her job was to weave clothes. She did this on the bank of the Amanogawa (Milky Way). Her father loved her work because she was so good at it.

Rows of glowing orange lanterns create a warm, repetitive pattern on stone stairs in the night.

Ori worked so hard that she had no time for her love life. This worried her father, who arranged for her to meet a prospective partner. That was Hikoboshi, a cowherd. He lived and worked on the other side of Amanogawa.

When the two young people met, they fell instantly in love and married. But that caused some problems in the heavens. Ori no longer weaved, and Hikoboshi let his cows stray all over the sky.

A crowd photographs the Zojoji Tanabata lanterns at dusk, with Tokyo Tower rising behind the temple.

Tentei separated the two lovers across the Amanogawa. He also forbade them from seeing each other. Ori was overwhelmed. The loss of her husband caused her so much grief. She begged her father to let them meet.

Her father relented and allowed the two to meet annually, on the 7th day of the 7th month. There was a condition: she had to finish her quota of weaving. And that was the origin of the Tanabata festival.

A phone screen captures Zojoji Temple and Tokyo Tower at night, framed by a background of glowing orange bokeh.

Photography tips for the Zojoji Tanabata festival

It is a little difficult because there isn’t much light. Candles are notoriously dim, and the light of Tokyo Tower is far away. Here are my tips:

Photograph with your lens wide open.
Put your ISO as high as possible, but be aware this could create noise and grain.
Use a low shutter speed, but watch out for blur. People who have IBIS on their cameras will have a slight advantage here!
If you want photos with few people in them, turn up early. I mean, about 4:30 p.m., and you’ll probably be able to get a front spot. You’ll have to stand there until sunset when the candles are lit, but it is better than being stuck at the back of the crowd.

A crowd photographs a luminous path of paper lanterns for Zojoji Tanabata on the temple steps at dusk.

How to get to Zojoji Temple

The temple is in the heart of the city. Some of the nearby train stations are Daimon, Hamamatsucho, and Onarimon Station. Get more information on my [Zojoji Temple Photo Guide].

Here it is on a Google Map:

Why Zojoji is the best place to experience Tanabata

It was a splendid night in the temple’s courtyard, with Tokyo Tower providing the perfect backdrop. For anyone in Tokyo during early July, the Zojoji Tanabata Festival is an unforgettable cultural experience. It beautifully blends ancient tradition with the modern cityscape. If you are looking for something different, check out Tanabata in Asagaya in August!