goshiki no tanzaku 五色の短冊

July in Japan brings Tanabata 七夕, the Star Festival, on 7 July.

Across the country, bamboo branches are adorned with colourful strips of paper carrying handwritten wishes. These are called goshiki no tanzaku 五色の短冊, the five-coloured wish papers.

The tradition has its roots in ancient China, where the five colours represented the harmony of nature through the Five Elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, and water) and the virtues we aspire to cultivate. As the custom became part of Japanese culture, each colour came to hold a wish of its own.

• Blue or green (Wood) speaks of kindness and growth.

• Red (Fire) expresses gratitude and respect.

• Yellow (Earth) represents sincerity and trust.

• White (Metal) symbolises clarity and new beginnings.

• Black (Water), often replaced by purple in Japan, carries the meaning of wisdom and learning.

More than decoration, these colours remind us that beauty can carry intention.

Colour has always spoken before words.

In Furoshiki too, a cloth is chosen not only for how it looks, but for what it says. We give the object. We also give the colour, and the feeling folded inside it.

Perhaps this is one of the lessons of Furoshiki. Every choice, the cloth, the knot, the colour, becomes part of the gift itself. It is a simple square of cloth, yet it carries thoughtfulness long before the present is opened.

As we move through July, may we slow down enough to notice the colours around us, and choose them with the same care we choose our words.

Wishing you a beautiful Tanabata, filled with hope, intention, and moments that become lasting memories.