Universal
Cultural · Seasonal
今日は七夕ですね。短冊に願いを書く習慣があります。あなたはどんな願い事をしますか？ — Today is Tanabata. There's a tradition of writing wishes on paper strips. What kind of wish would you make? (Cultural · Seasonal, Universal, JLPT N4)
You
今日は七夕ですね。短冊に願いを書く習慣があります。あなたはどんな願い事をしますか？
きょうはたなばたですね。たんざくにねがいをかくしゅうかんがあります。あなたはどんなねがいごとをしますか？
Today is Tanabata. There's a tradition of writing wishes on paper strips. What kind of wish would you make?
Romaji: Kyou wa tanabata desu ne. Tanzaku ni negai wo kaku shukan ga arimasu. Anata wa donna negai goto wo shimasu ka? / Reply Romaji: Sou desu ne... Kazoku minna ga genki de iru you ni, to kakimasu.
Reply
そうですね…家族みんなが元気でいるように、と書きます。
そうですね…かぞくみんながげんきでいるように、とかきます。
Hmm... I'd write something like 'may all my family be well and healthy.'
Gesture & etiquette
Ask with genuine curiosity and be ready to share your own wish ('watashi wa OO to kakimasu' — I would write [wish]) — this models the participation and makes the exchange feel mutual. If you are near a tanzaku station (at a shopping mall, school, or community center), suggest writing one together. Wishes in Japan often focus on family, health, and academic success.
Tanabata (July 7th, or August in some regions) celebrates the annual meeting of the star-crossed lovers Orihime and Hikoboshi across the Milky Way. Colorful tanzaku (paper strips) are hung on bamboo branches in shopping centers and homes. The question 'donna negai goto?' (what wish?) invites genuine personal sharing that builds warm conversation.