HOSHI SHRINE AND THE TANZAKU TRADITION

In Japan, Shinto shrines (jinja / 神社) are sacred spaces dedicated to the worship of nature deities called kami (神). It is estimated that there are more than 80,000 shrines throughout the country, each with its own unique atmosphere of peace, spirituality, and connection to the divine. When visiting them, it is common to observe purification rituals, prayers, as well as tablets and amulets that symbolize the wishes of those who visit.

One of the most beautiful elements of this tradition is the tanzaku (短冊): small strips of colored paper on which wishes, hopes, or thanks are written. During the Tanabata (七夕 / Tanabata) festival, which celebrates the meeting of the stars Orihime (織姫 / Orihime) and Hikoboshi (彦星 / Hikoboshi), thousands of people write their wishes on these papers and place them on bamboo branches (竹 / Take).

At Hoshi Shrine (星神社 / Hoshi Jinja), a Shinto temple dedicated to the stars, tanzaku take on an even more special meaning: they are brought there to ask for guidance and protection from the celestial kami (神々 / Kamigami). This act represents the union between the human world and the cosmos, reminding us that our dreams are also part of the vast universe.

At FUJITAYA Querétaro, we wanted to share this tradition with our guests and friends. During our Tanabata season activity (七夕祭り / Tanabata Matsuri), all visitors were invited to participate in creating their own wishes written on tanzaku (短冊). The response was wonderful: a total of 584 tanzaku (short strips of paper) made by our visitors were received!

These tanzaku, filled with dreams, gratitude, and hope, were taken to the Hoshi Shrine (星神社 / Hoshi Jinja) in Japan, where they now form part of a legacy of cultural union between Mexico and Japan.

Just as the tanzaku (短冊) fly to the stars in Japan, in Querétaro we invite you to dream, to write your wishes and to discover a space where Japanese culture intertwines with Mexican warmth.

At FUJITAYA Queretaro we will continue to celebrate the traditions of Japan with our guests and friends. We invite you to keep an eye out for our upcoming cultural and seasonal events, where you can experience the magic of Japanese culture up close without leaving Mexico.