Harvest Moon: An Evening to Embrace Your Inner Moon

Tsukimi, the Japanese Moon-Viewing Festival, is a tradition of admiring the moon in the clear autumn sky while offering prayers of gratitude for the harvest.

The fifteenth night of the eighth month in the old lunar calendar is called Jūgoya, also known as the Harvest Moon, for it falls when the rice ears ripen.

This year, it falls on October 6.

On this night, fifteen round white dumplings, shaped to resemble the moon, are offered in prayer for abundance and health. Seasonal vegetables and fruits are also placed before the moon, and after a quiet moment of prayer, they are shared among everyone—a gesture of “sharing the blessings of the harvest.”

Susuki (Japanese pampas grass) is displayed as a substitute for rice ears, long believed to carry sacred power.

Because the moon waxes and wanes, it has been regarded as a mirror reflecting the rhythms of human life and the shifting heart. Thus, Tsukimi is more than a seasonal custom—it is a moment to give thanks for the cycles of nature and to encounter the stillness within oneself.

As we gaze at the moon above, recalling the “inner moon” within our hearts, we may touch the same timeless sense once felt by people of old.

This event is a co-creation between Tonoya / Sōan and Tsuki-no-Miya.

Date: Monday, October 6th — 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM

Location: Tonoya / Sōan — 3489 Higashino, Osaki-Kamijima [Google Map Link]

Nearest Parking lot: [Google Map Link]

Admission: ¥1,000 per person

Program:

• Gathering and entering the space

• Breathing and deep listening meditation

• Silent moon viewing, awaiting the moonrise

• Offering prayers of gratitude for abundance and life

• Sharing fruits and dumplings, gentle reflections

• Closing

In addition to the offerings, light refreshments will be served.

We look forward to sharing this year’s Harvest Moon with you.

You’re warmly invited to join us.