How to Enjoy Harvest Moon Viewing | Guidable - Your Guide to a Sustainable, Wellbeing-centred Life in Japan

How to Enjoy Harvest Moon Viewing

By Guidable Writers Aug 22, 2016

Since ancient times, Japanese people have admired the beauty of the moon. It can be seen in many traditional Japanese poetry or fairy tales. This custom also meant celebrating the fall harvest. This event is known as “Otsukimi”, which literally means the moon reviewing, has become a part of their lives.

 

This event usually takes place on “Jugoya”, which is also called “Chushu no Meigetsu”, refers to the night of 15th day of August on the ancient calendar. According to the Gregorian calendar, it refers to the duration between the middle of September and the beginning of October and it depends on the year.

 

Otsukimi festivals take place in many places such as parks, buildings, towers, temples or shrines in Japan. So, you can have many choices to enjoy this traditional event.

1. Japanese Garden
There are beautiful Japanese gardens in Tokyo. Feel the atmosphere of traditional gardens.

– Sankeien Garden Harvest moon night viewing
Dates : September 15 – 19, 2016
Hours : Close at 21:00 (last entry 20:30)
Place : Sankeien Garden, Yokohama
Ticket : Adults (junior high school students and above) 500 yen
Details : http://www.sankeien.or.jp/en-event/14.html

– Mukoujima Hyakkaen Tsukimi no Kai
Dates : September 14 – 16, 2016
Hours : Close at 21:00 (last entry 20:30)
Place : Mukoujima Hyakkaen
Ticket : 150yen (Entrance fee for park)
Details : https://www.tokyo-park.or.jp/announcement/032/detail/34173.html

 

2. Tower
From these towers above Tokyo, you can enjoy the beautiful moon with the stunning night view in the background.

– Tokyo Tower : Otsukimi Kaidan walk
Dates : September 15, 2016
Hours : 17:00 – 22:00
Place : Tokyo Tower
Ticket : Adults 900yen

– Roppongi Hills : Chushu no Meigetsu Kangetsu kai
Dates : September 15
Hours : 19:00 – 21:00
Place : Tokyo City View, Sky Deck at Roppongi Hills
Ticket : 2,300yen (Entrance fee for Tokyo City View, Sky Deck)
Details : http://www.roppongihills.com/tcv/jp/tenmon/tenmonclub_harvestmoon.html

 

3. Temple
If you want to experience more traditional events, you should go to temples or shrines. You can also see the performance of Gagaku which is the court music and dance in ancient times.

– Jindaiji : Jyusanya no kai
Dates : October13, 2016
Hours : TBD
Place : Jindaiji Temple, Chofu-shi, Tokyo
Ticket : Free

– Hie jinjya : Chushu kangen sai
Dates : September 15, 2016
Hours : Open at 17:30
Place : Hie jinjya Shrine, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Ticket : 3,000 yen
Details : http://www.hiejinja.net/event/autumn/
Left image source: http://wol.nikkeibp.co.jp/article/trend/20130917/161881/?P=3

 

4. Park
You can not only see the moon but also do Yoga. It is said that the phase of the moon have beien closely related to our bodies and minds. Enjoy Yoga under the glow of the full moon.

– Mid Park Night Yoga : Tsukimi Yoga
Dates : September 15, 2016
(Night yoga event takes place on September 6, 7, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 27, 28)
Hours : 19:00 – 20:30
Place : MidTown Garden
Ticket : Free
Details : http://www.tokyo-midtown.com/jp/event/relaxpark/yoga.html

 

5. Onsen
In a park within hot spring resort area, you can also enjoy the performance of Koto which refers to Japanese stringed musical instrument, while eating “odango” which is Japanese sweet dumpling. That is exactly what you should do in Japan.

– Yugawara Onsen Kanko-kyoukai : Kangetsu-kai Jyugoya no Utage
Dates : September 15, 2016
Hours : 19:00 – 21:00
Place : Manyou Kouen, Yugawara
Ticket : 300 yen
Details : http://www.yugawara.or.jp/event/details.php?log=1437109324

 

Which one do you like? Which one do you choose? There are many ways to feel Japanese tradition. Enjoy the harvest moon as you like!

 

Ayuzyo

Japan