Hikoboshi and Orihime

ひこぼし(hikoboshi) means "the male star", it is the common name of the star alpha Aquilae in Japan. おりひめ(orihime)/織姫・織姫星(orihimeboshi) is the name for the star alpha Lyrae in Japanese. The Tanabata festival celebrates the meeting of the deities Orihime and Hikoboshi (represented by the stars Vega and Altair respectively).

Mythology

The story of Orihime and Hikoboshi was brought over from China during the Nara Era (710–794). The mythical star-crossed lovers of Japanese mythology, Princess Orihime 織姫 was the daughter of the Emperor of Heaven who fell in love with Hikoboshi 彦星, the cow herder After their marriage, Orihime refused to sew the beautiful cloth that her father loved, while Hikoboshi let his cows roam all about heaven. Angered, the Emperor separated the two lovers across the milky way, only letting them meet on the 7th day of the 7th month after being moved by his daughter's tears. This day is celebrated famously in Japanese tradition as "Tanabata" or the "Star Festival".

IAU Working Group Star Names

The names Hikoboshi and Orihime were discussed and approved by the IAU WGSN in 2023. The Japanese names are closely bound to α Aql and α Lyr, the terms are not applicable to other stars. Since α Aql and α Lyr were already named Altair and Vega respectively, the IAU chose not to include it in the IAU-CSN. Applying this name to another star, won't be acceptable for the culture of origin.