The Mid-Autumn Festival is round the corner. The festival falls on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar, which is September 29th this year.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is a harvest festival celebrated, particularly by the Chinese and Vietnamese people, in the countries and territories like Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Vietnam, Singapore and Korea. Many people enjoy family gathering, eating mooncakes, appreciating the moon, making/hanging colorful lanterns, etc. Mooncakes seem to be a big thing during this period of the year in Singapore, and you may have read the news about the mooncakes that are sold at over S$100 (about US$75) per box.
Actually, Japan does also celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, usually called as Otsukimi (moon-viewing), although there is no public holiday related to that like in other Asian countries and people do it in a slightly different way.
Mid-Autumn Festival in Japan
The Mid-Autumn Festival dates back over 2,000 years in China, evolved from the custom of Chinese emperors worshiping the moon into a festival during the Song dynasty.
It is said that the tradition was brought from China to Japan between 859 to 877 in the Heian period and became popular as an elegant recreational event among the nobles, who enjoyed drinking, reciting poems, or playing instruments while appreciating the beauty of the moon. This later spread among the common people in the Edo period but rather as an event to celebrate the harvest.
People in Japan usually celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival or Otsukimi with some offerings. The most common ones are Japanese pampas grass, dango (dumplings made from rice flour and glutinous rice flour), and autumn harvests such as taros, sweet potatoes, and chestnuts.
Dango
The shape of the dango varies depending on the region. The white, round shape like the ones in the image above is common in Kanto region (Tokyo and the surrounding prefectures), while in the central city of Nagoya, teardrop-shaped dango in a few different colors (usually brown, white and pink) is often seen, and in the western Kansai region, teardrop-shaped dango wrapped with a thin layer of red bean paste is popular.
Otsukimi Dorobo
There are several regions where Otsukimi Dorobo (meaning moon-viewing thief) is celebrated. Children walk around the neighborhood in the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, calling on houses for treats, or neighbors just place small box or tray filled with candies in front of their houses so the children can just walk around and help themselves to the treats. Variants of this tradition are also practiced in different parts of the country. This trick-or-treating-like event is said to be derived from the tradition of allowing children to snatch offerings, including rice dumplings and taros, during Otsukimi, as the children were seen as messengers from the moon.
Other ways to enjoy Otsukimi in Japan
You could visit Tokyo Tower, Tokyo Sky Tree® or other tall buildings to see the beautiful moon! Some parks and tourist attractions host special events for the festival. For example, Tokyo Sky Tree® has a special moon-viewing event at the observatory deck in the night of the festival, and jazz live music sessions “Jazz in the Night” every Thursday between September 21st and October 12th.
If you are interested in food rather than night sky watching, you can simply walk into any Japanese confectionery (wagashi) shop near where you stay and get some dango for yourself to try.
During the Otsukimi season, many eateries have special menu for the festival. The menu usually features something round, especially eggs, for its resemblance to the moon to create the festive vibe. Fast-food chains like McDonald’s, Mos Burger, KFC, Pizza Hut and more will have some seasonal menu, so if you find one, you may want to try it now as the next time you can try is next year!
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