ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Tanzaku

Tanzaku is a long and thin piece of paper that people in Japan use to write down their wishes or dreams. It is usually brightly colored and decorated with pretty pictures, like flowers or animals.

When someone writes their wish or dream on the tanzaku paper, they hang it up on a special tree called a "tanzaku tree." This is usually done during a special event or festival, called the Tanabata festival.

During this festival, people believe that if they write their wishes on a tanzaku and hang it on the tree, their dreams will come true. The tanzaku tree becomes a beautiful display of people's hopes and dreams, all written down and hanging in one place.

So, the tanzaku is like a special paper that people in Japan use to express their wishes, and the tanzaku tree is a place where those wishes can come true. It's a fun tradition that brings people together to celebrate their hopes for the future.
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