Tsukimi: The Japanese Word for Moon-Viewing
A traditional approach to the moon in Japanese culture
I love words associated with nature, and also cultures which honor our planet with such beautiful, special expressions. The Japanese are one of these nations.
This week’s word is one of those whose pronunciation is a bit mysterious, like most Japanese words.
Tsukimi.
Tsukimi means looking at the moon. It's that simple, but has a more profound meaning to the Japanese. The Japanese tradition of watching and celebrating the moon dates back to ancient times.
Moon viewing festival in autumn is a traditional way to express gratitude for a good harvest for that year and hope for abundance in the future. According to the old lunar calendar, the full moon appears on the 15th night of each month. The best night of the whole year for observing the moon is the 15th night of the 8th month in the lunar calendar, known as Jugoya or Tsukimi.
By the way, Tsukimi Day in 2022 is September 10. It might be a good time to travel to Japan, let's keep that in mind.