Tsukimi : Japan’s lesser-known autumn festival

If someone were to ask you about Japanese festivals, then we’d bet the spring time Hanami, cherry blossom festival, would be top of your list. Yet autumn has its own popular celebration too. Tsukimi, the moon watching festival may not be so well known internationally, but it’s just as popular as Hanami for locals.

Tsukimi takes place on 15th August in the old Japanese calendar (lunar calendar), which falls in October on the new calendar. Because it is based on the lunar calendar, the specific date of the moon viewing festival changes each year. It is usually when the moon is at its brightest and fullest in the Northern hemisphere, sometime between mid September and mid October.

Read on for an introduction to Japan’s Harvest moon festival, from its origins to modern traditions and popular foods, plus how businesses are tapping into this cultural event.

How did Tsukimi begin?

The mid autumn moon festival is a combination of two autumn festivals. It is said to have been imported to Japan from China’s Tang Dynasty during the Heian period (794 - 1185). At this time Japanese aristocrats would take boats out to see the moon and enjoy its reflection on the water, while composing poetry and listening to music.

Later Tsukimi spread in popularity and merged with the mid-autumn harvest festival, Jugoya, this is when offerings to the moon became part of the event. The festival has since been a time of celebration but also thanks for a bountiful harvest and hope for the year to come. Traditional offerings include Tsukimi Dango, rice balls said to look like the moon, stacked like an altar, and Susuki, pampas grass which acts as a good luck charm as it resembles a rice plant.

What happens during Tsukimi?

The moon festival can be a large celebration, or a small one. Some people attend organised events, others celebrate at home or in special places with family and friends. There are moon concerts, picnics by lakes (Lake Kawaguchiko is a popular spot for its views of Mount Fuji) and on balconies, and poetry still features at some get-togethers. Some people create a small altar at home and watch the moon through the window, others gather outdoors and celebrate with friends; nearly all of them will enjoy some kind of traditional sweet treat.

Popular foods during the festivities

In addition to making Tsukimi Dango for offerings, they are also a popular treat for the harvest moon festival, alongside chestnuts, sweet potato, persimmon and pumpkin. Rabbit-shaped mochi and sweets can also be  found at many celebrations (more on that below). 

It’s not just about sweet foods though, eggs have found their way into many dishes around the time of the festival as they look like the full moon. Tsukimi Udon and Tsukimi Soba make an appearance on menus. Even modern fast food chains have got in on the act, some believe it’s not truly harvest moon season if you haven’t had a McDonalds Tsukimi Burger yet (and yes, it’s topped with a fried egg).

Where does the rabbit come from?

Japanese folklore tells the tale of a time-worn traveller who asked some animals to help find him some food, as the rabbit could not find anything to offer, he threw himself on the fire to be food instead. The traveller turned out to be a deity and made a home for the rabbit on the moon. So, that’s one theory.

Another stems from the origins of the word for the full moon, mochizuki which sounds very similar to the word for making mochi mochitsuki (though the symbols are different). Growing up Japanese children learn that there is a rabbit on the moon, rather than a man on the moon. The moon’s surface is said to look like a rabbit (or two) pounding mochi. 

What events can I attend for Tsukimi in Japan?

Many local shrines and sites host events for the moon festival, but below are a selection of the most well-known.

Ise shrine offers a traditional celebration where waka poetry is recited alongside the water of Magamata pond. Ise is one of the most important shinto sites in Japan.

Himeji Castle, a UNESCO world heritage site, hosts a moon concert for Tsukimi every year. Visitors can listen to Taiko drums while enjoying green tea and traditional sweets.

Tokyo Skytree and Tokyo Tower both offer the chance to get as close to the moon as possible, while the former boasts a musical deliberation with live jazz, the latter is also specially lit up for  the autumn festival.

If you want to be out on the water, then Lake Biwa, Japan’s largest freshwater lake often has evening cruises in the autumn and the temples nearby put on events for the harvest moon.

Do businesses get involved in Tsukimi?

There are no holiday days associated with the harvest moon festival and work carries on as normal, however businesses are increasingly adding the festival to their social media marketing calendars. With some clever localisation, McDonalds have created their Tsukimi Burger, Starbucks offer seasonal moon-themed drinks and Krispy Kreme have a moon doughnut. Traditional themed Dagashi are offered among friends and business acquaintances and treatbox companies like Sakuraco and Bokksu Boutique include themed snacks for the occasion. In addition, as mentioned earlier, many restaurants add eggs to dishes as a nod to the moon.

A little bit about language

Because we’re language nerds at heart, we couldn’t talk about the festival without sharing a little of the language around it. There are no particular greetings that are commonly used when celebrating the harvest moon, but interestingly there are some phrases for when the weather gets in the way of moon gazing, and you can’t see the Chūshū no Meigetsu (full moon) in all its glory on festival day. 

Ugestu is a term meaning rain-moon, which is pretty self-explanatory.

 Mugetsu means no-moon and is used when it is too cloudy for a clear view.

Whether the moon decides to shine brightly or not, Tsukimi is an important autumn celebration in Japan, a time to be thankful for what has passed and hopeful for what is to come. It can be celebrated quietly in the comfort of home, traditionally at a shrine or within a more modern environment accompanied by contemporary music. However it is celebrated, it is a time to appreciate nature, connect with loved ones and enjoy some delicious moon themed foods.