The Japanese name for the celestial weaver star Vega in the Tanabata legend is Orihime.
Orihime means “weaving princess” and is the Japanese identity associated with Vega, the bright star in the constellation Lyra. In the Tanabata story, she is a gifted weaver and the daughter of the heavenly ruler. Her counterpart is Hikoboshi, the cowherd associated with Altair in the constellation Aquila.
The Milky Way separates Orihime and Hikoboshi. According to the legend, they are permitted to meet only once each year, on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month. A flock of magpies forms a bridge across the celestial river, although rain is said to prevent their meeting.
Tanabata blends Japanese custom with the older Chinese Qixi star legend. In modern Japan, people celebrate by writing wishes on colorful strips of paper called tanzaku and hanging them on bamboo. Tanabata is therefore the festival’s name, not Orihime’s name, while Hikoboshi names the companion star.