What is the Japanese star festival celebrated on July 7 called?

The Japanese star festival celebrated on July 7 is called Tanabata.

Tanabata is a Japanese festival based on the legend of the separated lovers Orihime and Hikoboshi, represented by the stars Vega and Altair. According to the story, the pair may meet across the Milky Way once a year, on the seventh day of the seventh month. In the modern Gregorian calendar, many communities celebrate Tanabata on July 7, although some use August 7 or dates based on the traditional lunisolar calendar.

Participants write wishes on narrow paper strips called tanzaku and hang them from bamboo branches decorated with colorful ornaments. Major Tanabata festivals include those in Sendai and Hiratsuka, where elaborate streamers are displayed.

Tanabata is often grouped with summer festivals because of its timing and outdoor decorations, but it is not a June-solstice festival. Its date and customs come from the East Asian Qixi tradition and Japanese court culture rather than European midsummer observances.