Last week there was a full moon on October 4th. This harvest moon marks a special time of year in Japan, and we celebrate it each time with food and, of course, by enjoying the sight of this spectacular moon.

Tsukimi or moon viewing is part of the Mid-Autumn Festival where we celebrate the harvest for the year and look forward to the coming season. This year it occurred from October 4th to 6th, so at Dai-ichi Takimotokan we prepared a few things to celebrate.

This year, we prepared luxurious flowers, including Japanese pampas grass, and some special sweets. Yunoka Manju are a specialty made for this time of year.

We distributed them to our guests who happened to be here during this time so they could enjoy them while taking in this spectacular view. They were all gone by dinner time!

This year, the moon hid in the clouds a little on the first day, but the glow it gave to the sky here in Noboribetsu was stunning. In the photograph, the outline of the moon is a little blurred, but it clearly visible to the naked eye. In the days afterward, the sky was very clear so the view was particularly good.

How did you enjoy your moon viewing day?
I hope to see the moon again next year.