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お月見(つきみ) Otsukimi is an event to gaze at the beautiful and bright moon

お月見(つきみ) Otsukimi is an event to gaze at the beautiful and bright moon on the clearest day of the year, also known as the "十五夜(じゅうごや)" or the "中秋(ちゅうしゅう)の名月(めいげつ)".
In 2021, September 21 will be the day of Otsukimi.

History of Otsukimi
The culture of Otsukimi was introduced to Japan from China.
In the Heian period (794-1185), aristocrats enjoyed drinking sake while gazing at the moon, and also enjoyed poetry and music on a boat.

What an intelligent and elegant event for the aristocrats of the Heian period! ✨
I have also written about the culture of the Heian period in the following article, so please refer to it.😉

In the Edo period (1603-1868), Otsukimi spread among the common people as a harvest festival to share the joy and give thanks for the safe harvest of rice.

Offerings for Otsukimi
Traditional offerings for Otsukimi are silver grass, moon-viewing dumplings, and farm products.

ススキ Silver Grass
Miscanthus, one of the seven herbs of autumn, has the meaning of protecting the harvest from evil spirits and disasters, and wishing for a good harvest the following year.
It is also believed that the sharp cut of silver grass can ward off evil spirits, and it is still customary to put it up in gardens and paddy fields or hang it from the eaves.

月見団子 (つきみだんご)Tsukimi dango
(Dumplings)
We express our gratitude to the moon for the harvest by offering dumplings that look like the moon.
Fifteen dumplings are piled up like a pyramid and offered as an offering.

Agricultural products (taro, chestnuts)
Freshly harvested crops such as taro, chestnuts, and edamame are offered as an offering to give thanks for the harvest.


I don't do any formal decorations myself, but I do buy some Japanese sweets for moon viewing, darken the room, and watch the moon. It's a calming moment.

Does a rabbit live on the moon?
In Japan, it is often said that rabbits make rice cakes on the moon.
The story originated from a tale that was passed down from India to Japan and became a part of the "今昔物語集(こんじゃくものがたりしゅう)Konjaku Monogatari-shu" or folk tales of various regions.

Once upon a time in India, a rabbit, a fox, and a monkey lived together, practicing the path of a bodhisattva and respecting each other as if they were their own parents or brothers. The god Taishakuten, who was watching them, was impressed by their behavior and wanted to see if they really had the heart of a Buddha.

The three monkeys gladly accepted the offer and searched for food for the old man. The monkey fetches nuts and fruits, and the fox fish. The rabbit, however, can't find anything for the old man to eat, even though he has searched the mountain hard. The rabbit said, "The mountains are full of dangers. Not only would he not be able to find any food, but he would be caught and eaten by people and animals. One day, he asked the fox and monkey to build a fire so that he could find some food. When the monkey and the fox built a fire, the rabbit jumped into the fire to eat himself and died. The rabbit jumped into the fire and died. It is said that the rabbit is still in the moon today, and the cloud-like substance on the moon's surface is the smoke from the rabbit's burning death.

I never knew such a sad story.😭

There are many theories as to why the rabbit is making rice cakes, and I am not sure.

The pattern of the moon as seen from the earth is the same no matter where you look at it from.
What does the moon look like from your country?

Reference:

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