![A japanese logo](https://i.stack.imgur.com/OrAJS.png)

I got this from a Japanese bar owner, she said it means "bamboo", but I used
Google translate and can't find a similar word that looks like that. Also, is
it possible to type out this word?
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2014-07-21T07:47:33.970
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2014-07-22T01:58:29.397
2014-07-21T08:51:07.043
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question
kanji calligraphy
What does this word mean?
It looks to me like 「[七夕]{たなばた}」 in vertical cursive. It does not look like
「[竹]{たけ}」, which means "bamboo".

Here is what 七夕 means: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanabata>
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2014-07-21T09:18:25.097
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2014-07-21T09:18:25.097
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answer
The characters are almost certainly represent Tanabata (七夕), and are written
in the fluid calligraphic style known as "grass style."

The idea of bamboo here probably comes from the use of bamboo during the
Tanabata festival. From the Wikipedia
[page](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanabata) on Tanabata:

> In present-day Japan, people generally celebrate this day by writing wishes,
> sometimes in the form of poetry, on tanzaku (短冊 tanzaku?), small pieces of
> paper, and hanging them on bamboo, sometimes with other decorations (see
> also Wish Tree).

The bar owner may have been trying to suggest a use for the Tanabata item you
received, since the holiday was on 7 July.
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2014-07-22T01:58:29.397
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answer