SENDAI—Suspended by ropes, repair workers rappel down and across the shiny white face of a 100-meter-tall standing Buddhist statue here. The specialized high-altitude conservators do not use ...

But maybe not tonight. July 7 is Tanabata, or the Star Festival. Matsuo Basho (1644-1694), the haiku maestro, was apparently restless in anticipation the night before the festival. “Oh the month ...