SENDAI (Miyagi Pref.): Sendai Tanabata Festival, which is held in the northeastern Japan city of Sendai in August every year, will be canceled this year due to the coronavirus crisis, the organizer said Friday.

It will be the first time for the annual summer festival, known for its gorgeous decorations, to be called off since the event was first held in its current form in 1946.

According to the organizer, the Sendai Tanabata Festival Support Association, the festival attracts some 2.5 million visitors every year. The organizer is made up of the Sendai Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other organizations.

This year's festival was scheduled for Aug. 6-8. An annual fireworks festival held on the eve of the Sendai Tanabata Festival will also be canceled.

Speaking at a press conference, Sendai Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman Hiroshi Kamata, 78, said that the organizer wanted to hold the Tanabata festival this year, as it had been held every year without fail, even in 2011, when a powerful earthquake and tsunami hit the Tohoku northeastern Japan region in March.

"While extremely regrettable, (the cancellation) was inevitable," he added.

The Sendai Tanabata Festival is one of the largest festivals in the Tohoku region.

The Aomori Nebuta Festival, another major festival in the area, has also been called off this year.

JIJI Press