Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Otsukimi - Moon Viewing 

   Otsukimi, literally “moon viewing”, has for many centuries been held sometime in the middle of September all over Japan. During the harvest season, the air is clean and you can see beautiful full moons, and so the season is held then.
  
   Originally, this moon viewing party came from China, and at that time, nobles enjoyed viewing things of natural beauty as one of their past times. They sipped drinks, nibbled on food and wrote tanka poems.

   The party takes place on Sun. 30th this year (Aug. 15th in the lunar calendar), and we call it “Chushu-no-Meigetsu” (beautiful moon in the middle of autumn), “Jugo ya” (15th night), or “Imo Meigetsu” (Potato Moon). The last name comes from offered food. We also set ikebana (flower arrangements) featuring susuki (pampas grass) and other fall flowers and plants such as bush clover, and also eat taro and mochi (rice cakes) as special lunar food.

   In Japan, when you look at the moon, you can see the shape of a rabbit making mochi. Everyone should take time out from the cares and tensions of the busy day to pause for a short time and enjoy the dreamy pleasure of moon viewing and find the rabbit on the moon.

Moon viewing event in Katsurahama Beach
Please enjoy it with local rice wine, Japanese traditional lantern, music and dance under the moon light!
Date: Sep. 29th (Sat.) & 30th (Sun.), 6pm - 9pm, 2012
Place: Katsurahama Beach
Contact: Kochi City Tourism Association  Tel: 088-823-4016


View Larger Map

No comments:

Post a Comment