A Lesson to be Learned from the Popular Japanese God Of Good Fortune- EBISU (恵比須)
By Avi Landau
Over the centuries, EBISU, or as he is popularly known as in the Kansai Area ( in Kyoto, Osaka and Hyogo Prefectures) EBE-SAN, has evolved from being what could be called the patron saint of fisherman, into a god of prosperity, popular among both merchants and farmers. He is now counted as one of the SHICHIFUKUJIN ( the SEVEN LUCKY GODS), a group of good-fortune-bearing deities often portrayed riding in a ship, which during the Edo Period (1600-1868) grew to be extremely popular as objects of worship ( and as good luck charms) among the common people.
Most Japanese adults can recognize EBISU from among these seven gods, without having his name written anywhere on him. He can be easilly identified by his distinctive features- the most important of which are a fish in his left hand and a fishing rod in his right.
Anyone who lives in Japan has seen his image- most probably on a can of Yebisu Beer ( which way back before the Japanese were familiar with beer, was given that auspicious name in order to help the Japanese public feel feel comforable with this western-style beverage).
So what, you may ask, does Ebisu, the Patron Saint of Business, have to teach us ( as I have suggested in the title of this post)?
Well, from reading about traditional views on Ebisu and what he symbolizes, I have come to realize that this ancient deity represents some very important TRADITIONAL JAPANESE VALUES- a way of thinking which seems to have been largely forgotten by today`s residents of the Japanese archipelago.
What I am talking about is the notion of profiting WITHOUT BEING TOO GREEDY. The idea of always remebering to leave something over for others- the poor, the birds, small animals, or nature itself.
How does Ebisu represent these old values?
By carrying a rod and not a net!
In several texts I have found references to image of Ebisu representing the concept: USE THE ROD- NOT THE NET ( 釣りして網せず, tsurishite-ami sezu), which implies that we should only take what we need, or a little more- but not indiscriminately deplete the environment depriving other living things (and future generations of a means of survival)- or as it is said in Japanese: 暴利をむさぼらないで、bo-ri o musaboranai de!
If the Japanese (and other nations) do not heed this wordlessly expressed teaching of Ebisu, we might not be eating TUNA, or many other varieties of fish very much longer. The fisherman will not be able to carry on their way of life either ( some types of fish have already disappeared off the shores of Japan).
And as for Tsukuba, an area which was once targeted for development because of its abundance of unprofitable marshland and forest, will be COMPLETELY deforested ( besides a few parks) if the people do not speak out for the need to LEAVE SOME OF THE NATURAL LOCAL ECOSYSTEM IN TACT. I am not talking about the parks. Small areas in which the birds,small mammals, and plants which require deeper forest as a habitat can survive should be set aside.
As I watched the bulldozers clear the last large remaining wooded tracts which stood north of the IIAS Shopping Mall, making room for more housing developments to be built by UR or DAIWA HOUSE, I could not help but think that NOW its the time for the Japanese to remember the old ways and the traditional teachings- and leave a little bit for the birds ( plants and animals).
I hope that the executives of these companies ( as well as others involved in the `development ' of Tsukuba), people who might even make offerings to EBISU, the God of Business Success, take a closer look at this deity, and think about what he really represents.
I have written more on EBISU here:
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A Look at Japan`s Various HANAMI (Cherry Blossom Viewing) SWEETS
Hanami Dango - tricolored rice dumplings on a stick
By Avi Landau
Thoughout the month of March, as Japan`s mass media reports the daily progress of the CHERRY BLOSSOM FRONT across the Japanese Archipelago, those of us living in the Kanto Area ( around Tokyo) anticipate our local sakura trees bursting into bloom (sometime in April) by enjoying SAKURA MOCHI during tea breaks, at work or at home. These are sweets which consist of smooth, pink colored patties (made of wheat flour)which are gently folded around a dab of sweet bean paste ( anko). Importantly, a young cherry tree LEAF which has been lightly salted, is then wrapped around this ( the leaves have been picked during the previous year, of course).
The fragrance of the cherry leaf is absorbed by the soft dough, giving this confection a distinctive taste and aroma ( and the leaf is eaten as well!). This particular confection first became popular in Edo ( now Tokyo), and the shop which first sold them ( Yamamoto-Ya), is still selling them to this day. ( Ive written more about this here: http://blog.alientimes.org/2008/04/to-eat-the-leaf-or-not-to-eat-the-leaf-that-is-the-question/ )
I was surprised a few years ago, when a friend, born and raised in the Kansai Area ( around Kyoto and Osaka), and who had just come to live in Tsukuba ( in Kanto), had NEVER SEEN such a sakura mochi before. The fact is that in Osaka, what they call sakura mochi is ALSO a sweet wrapped in a cherry leaf. Theirs, however, is round, and made with sticky rice which has not been pounded smooth, so that each grain is clearly visible. These are called DOMYO- JI outside of Kansai ( and they are available at some shops in Tsukuba).
Still more surprising was to find out that many WAGASHI-YA ( traditional Japanese sweet shops) stop selling sakura mochi with the onset of April, when the sakura trees actually start blooming around here.
Regional differences- Kanto style SAKURA MOCHI on the left, and Kansai style Do-myo-Ji, on the right
More cherry blossom motifed confections
The reason for this is that the most traditional sweet taken to cherry blossom parties has long been HANAMI-DANGO. Sticky and chewy little balls ( four or five of them) skewered on a stick.
Generally speaking, dango are made out of pounded grain, boiled or roasted. There are many types of these dumplings, depending on the time of year and the region, and they are available throughout Japan all year round.
Dango are the simplest and most rustic ( you could say primitive) of all Japanese sweets, making them perfectly suitable for Japan`s most ancient customs- cherry blossom parties and moon-viewing ( for which Tsukimi Dango are offered to the moon).
It is popular. however, in the cherry blossom season, to find three-colored HANAMI-DANGO at convenience stores and supermarkets. The colors represent the blossoms- pink, the fresh foliage of spring- green, and most importantly, SAKE- white!
Kansai style Do-myo-Ji on sale at Tsukuba`s Seibu Department Store
If you visit a wagashi shop ( or the hanami sweets display at your local supermarket, you will find a wide variety of cherry motifed goodies. Some are extremely beautiful. The confectioners have surely been inspired by the poets of old who wrote:
MITE NO MIYA HITO NI KATARAMU SAKURA HANA TE GOTO NI ORITE IE TSUTO NI SEMU ( 見てのみや人にかたらむさくら花手ごとに折りて家つとにせむ）- which means- the blossoms are so beautiful that I`d like to break off a branch to take home with me.
As actually doing this would be very bad form indeed- almost sacreligious, what better surrogate for the blossoms than taking home the beautiful cherry shaped and motifed wonders created by Japans imaginative confectioners. They taste good too. But dont forget that these sweets are made to go with green tea and not coffee, so make sure you have some when you get ready to eat them.
Enjoy your hanami!
In Tsukuba there are MANY great spots for it.
But if you have no time here in Kanto, remember that the CHERRY BLOSSOM FRONT will continue its progress northward. You still have some time to catch the blossoms at some of Japan`s most famous cherry spots, including Kakunodate in Akita and Hirosaki in Aomori.
Skewerd dango in a sweet paste ( note the four balls)
One more thing about the dango skewered on a stick that I cant resist pointing out. Though during the cherry blossom season there are the colored HANAMI DANGO with three dumplings on a stick, in Tokyo, for most of the year, there are FOUR on a stick, and in Kyoto FIVE !
Here is an example of a BENTO ( lunch box) especially prepared for a cherry blossom excursion. Note the cherry flavored rice!
A HANAMI BENTO- a speically motifed lunch box for a Hanami outing
The perfect lubricant for Hanami- SAKURA KIRAKIRA- a brand of sake (rice wine) with real cherry blossoms soaking inside!
Just opening up! The buds just starting to burst open at one of Tsukuba`s many great Hanami spots- the Expo Memorial Park (Banpaku Kinen Ko-en) April 9th 2012
Key words (KIGO) for Hanami
By Avi Landau
A specialty from Gifu Prefecture- cherry blossom uiro
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A Look At Japan`s Various Hanami Confections
Tri-colored Hanami Dango
By Avi Landau
Thoughout the month of March, as Japan`s mass media reports the daily progress of the CHERRY BLOSSOM FRONT across the Japanese Archipelago, those of us living in the Kanto Area ( around Tokyo) anticipate our local sakura trees bursting into bloom (sometime in April) by enjoying SAKURA MOCHI during tea breaks, at work or at home. These are sweets which consist of smooth, pink colored patties (made of wheat flour)which are gently folded around a dab of sweet bean paste ( anko). Importantly, a young cherry tree LEAF which has been lightly salted, is then wrapped around this ( the leaves have been picked during the previous year, of course).
The fragrance of the cherry leaf is absorbed by the soft dough, giving this confection a distinctive taste and aroma ( and the leaf is eaten as well!). This particular confection first became popular in Edo ( now Tokyo), and the shop which first sold them ( Yamamoto-Ya), is still selling them to this day. ( Ive written more about this here: http://blog.alientimes.org/2008/04/to-eat-the-leaf-or-not-to-eat-the-leaf-that-is-the-question/ )
I was surprised a few years ago, when a friend, born and raised in the Kansai Area ( around Kyoto and Osaka), and who had just come to live in Tsukuba ( in Kanto), had NEVER SEEN such a sakura mochi before. The fact is that in Osaka, what they call sakura mochi is ALSO a sweet wrapped in a cherry leaf. Theirs, however, is round, and made with sticky rice which has not been pounded smooth, so that each grain is clearly visible. These are called DOMYO- JI outside of Kansai ( and they are available at some shops in Tsukuba).
Kanto-style Sakura Mochi ( left) and Kansai-style Domyo-Ji ( right)
Still more surprising was to find out that many WAGASHI-YA ( traditional Japanese sweet shops) stop selling sakura mochi with the onset of April, when the sakura trees actually start blooming around here,
More sweets with cherry blossom motifs
The reason for this is that the most traditional sweet taken to cherry blossom parties has long been HANAMI-DANGO. Sticky and chewy little balls ( four or five of them) skewered on a stick.
Generally speaking, dango are made out of pounded grain, boiled or roasted. There are many types of these dumplings, depending on the time of year and the region, and they are available throughout Japan all year round.
Dango are the simplest and most rustic ( you could say primitive) of all Japanese sweets, making them perfectly suitable for Japan`s most ancient customs- cherry blossom parties and moon-viewing ( for which Tsukimi Dango are offered to the moon).
It is popular. however, in the cherry blossom season, to find three-colored HANAMI-DANGO at convenience stores and supermarkets. The colors represent the blossoms- pink, the fresh foliage of spring- green, and most importantly, SAKE- white!
Domyo-Ji from Tsukuba`s Seibu Department Store
If you visit a wagashi shop ( or the hanami sweets display at your local supermarket, you will find a wide variety of cherry motifed goodies. Some are extremely beautiful. The confectioners have surely been inspired by the poets of old who wrote:
MITE NO MIYA HITO NI KATARAMU SAKURA HANA TE GOTO NI ORITE IE TSUTO NI SEMU ( 見てのみや人にかたらむさくら花手ごとに折りて家つとにせむ）- which means- the blossoms are so beautiful that I`d like to break of a branch and take then home with me.
As actually doing this would be very bad form indeed- almost sacreligious, what better surrogate for the blossoms than taking home the beautiful cherry shaped and motifed wonders created by Japans imaginative confectioners. They taste good too. But dont forget that these sweets are made to go with green tea and not coffee, so make sure you have some when you get ready to eat them.
Enjoy your hanami! And if you have no time here in Kanto, remember that the CHERRY BLOSSOM FRONT will continue its progress northward. You still have some time to catch the blossoms at some of Japan`s most famous cherry spots, including Kakunodate in Akita and Hirosaki in Aomori.
Skewered Dango in a sweet paste
One more thing about the dango skewered on a stick that I cant resist pointing out. Though during the cherry blossom season there are the colored HANAMI DANGO with three dumplings on a stick, in Tokyo, for most of the year, there are FOUR on a stick, and in Kyoto FIVE !
Here is an example of a BENTO ( lunch box) especially prepared for a cherry blossom excursion. Note the cherry flavored rice:
A Hanami Bento ( photo by Harumi Takaya)
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A Look at Moon-Viewing ( O-Tsukimi, お月見) in Japan
The full moon of mid-autumn with pampas grass (susuki)
By Avi Landau
When they followed their traditional LUNISOLAR calendar, now referred to as the kyu-reki (旧暦, former calendar) or inreki (陰暦), the Japanese were always in tune with the MOON and its PHASES. In fact, under that old system of ordering the days, months and seasons ( first introduced to Japan from Tang China via Korea sometime in the mid- 6th century), the days of the month were directly connected to the moons waxing and waning. Thus, it was possible on many specific dates to predict the shape that the moon would take in the sky on that particular night. Most famously, the FULL MOON (満月、mangetsu) would always appear on the night of the 15th (ju-go-ya, 十五夜) of each month.
Since the Japanese government of the Meiji Period ( a time of rabid Westernization and modernization) decided to drop this old lunisolar calendar in favor of the solar based Gregorian one( in 1873), consciousness of the moon and its cycle has been ON THE WANE, as the dates of the NEW CALENDAR no longer coincide with the lunar phases. Thus, even though some modern Japanese calendars DO show the KOYOMI dates (in hard to notice, small print) , it is still easy to lose track of when important traditional ceremonies are coming up. It is ironic, that it is now CONVENIENCE STORES (an institiution which can be said to bear great responsibility in the precipitous demise of traditional lifestles and family relationships), which help remind the general public about the coming of one of Japan`s MOST ANCIENT AND ENDEARING CUSTOMS- O-Tsukimi ( お月見, Moon-Viewing). They do this by setting up displays ( which look charmingly home-made) featuring the iconic symbols of the event- moons and rabbits ( according to Japanese and Chinese legend, there is a rabbit on the moon!), Tsukimi-Dango ( moon shaped rice dumplings) and Chinese moon cakes, as well as stalks of real pampas grass (susuki, 薄).
Tsukimi-Dango and pampas grass at a conveience store in Tsukuba
Though the moon`s beauty can be appreciated at any time of year, in Japan doing so is strongly connected with AUTUMN. In fact , in Haiku poetry the word moon- TSUKI (月), by itself , is a keyword indicating the fall. This is not only because at that time of year temperatures and weather conditions are at their most suitable for such outdoor activity at night, but also because, in the northern hemisphere, the moon seems to be especially large and NEAR to us during the autumn months.
For the Japanese, whose culture is so connected to the changing of the seasons and the appreciation of natural beauty, viewing this autumn moon ( the Harvest Moon, in English) came to be one of the most cherished and anticipated activities of the year!. There was (is) even the saying- HARU WA HANA- AKI WA TSUKI- in spring cherry blossoms, in autumn the moon! Countless works of art, especially in poetry and painting focused on the moon as its major motif, suggesting not only beauty, but continuous change, and even revival. Here is one very famous ( and anonymous) classical poem which expresses the SPECIAL joy of viewing the moon in mid-autumn:
Tsukizuki ni tsuki miru tsuki wa oo keredo tsuki miru tsuki wa kono tsuki no tsuki ( 月々に月見る月は多けれど月見る月はこの月の月) , which I translate, using the word moon to mean both MONTH and MOON, as it does in Japanese-
Moon after moon there are so many moons to be viewed, but as for a MOON-VIEWING moon there is none other than this moon`s moon!
![091003_1348~01[1]](http://blog.alientimes.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/091003_1348011-225x300.jpg)
According to the traditional calendar, the months of autumn are the 7th, 8th and 9th, months. These roughly correspond to the Gregorian late August, September, October and early November. The custom of viewing the mid-autumn full moon (仲秋名月, chu-shu-meigetsu), which appears in the sky on the 15th day of 8th month (sometime in September or October according to the new calendar) while eating , drinking and composing and reciting poetry, was introduced to Japan from China. The oldest record of such a formal Chinese- style Moon-Viewing party held by the Japanese Imperial Court dates back to the year 856 ( the third year of the Emperor Saikou). However, many scholars believe that the Japanese people had been making offerings to the moon, in order to pray for or give thanks for a good harvest, since LONG BEFORE the Chinese style celebrations were introduced.
The reason for assuming this, is that among the common people ( and later for anyone doing Tsuki-Mi), it was (and still is) the custom to offer SATO-IMO (里芋), taro, to the moon in this season , as part of a general rite of prayer called the HATSUHO-MATSURI (初穂祭り, Festival of the First Harvest）. In fact, an alternate name for the mid-autumn full moon is the TARO-FULL-MOON (IMO-MEIGETSU. 芋名月）, which might just very well be a LIVING CONNECTION with Japans prehistoric, pre-rice cultivating past, when the taro was the staple food of the inhabitants of these islands.
Taro and Tsuki-mi Dango offered to the Moon
Another indication that there was a native Japanese version of the Chinese custom of moon-viewing is the fact that in Japan, it is considered incomplete, or even UNLUCKY to do TSUKI-MI only on the 15th day of the 8th month ( the day the Chinese do it). Doing so is called KATAMI-TSUKI (片見月）, literally, a half-viewed moon. For a full and satisfactoryTSUKI-MI one also had to view the moon and make offerings on the 13th DAY OF THE 9th MONTH ( called- Ju-san-ya, 十三夜）. It is possible that before the Chinese custom of formal moon-viewing was introduced that the Japanese had a similar custom, involving offerings and supplications to the moon, which took place about one month later. It has also been suggested by commentators, that the shape of the moon on the 13th ( 十三夜), not quite, but just nearly full, is more appealing to the aesthetic sensibilities of the Japanese!
Anyway, no matter what the origins, people continue to do tsukimi to this day. Whereas the Chinese have a national holiday and celebrate by eating large, round moon cakes ( to symbolize family unity), the Japanese make offerings to the moon ( by leaving them in a place exposed to the moon-light) of seasonal crops ( chestnuts, persimons, taro, apples), seasonal plants ( bush clover, etc.) and little round rice dumplings called Tsuki-mi dango. Usually 15 ( for the 15th night) or 12 ( for 12 months of the year) of these dango are placed in a traditional tray called a SANBO (三方) . One very interesting folk belief related to these dango is that your family will have good luck ( and a good harvest) if these little sweets are stolen from your offering tray! Thus, moon-viewing night was an exciting time for kids, who would be permitted, or even encouraged, to steal the neighbors dango. These kids were (are ) called O-Tsuki-Mi Dorobo ( お月見泥棒）。
An essential element for any Tsukimi event is some pampas grass. One thing that stands out in my memory is that every year at moon viewing time, the 7-11 near Doho Park, in Tsukuba, gives out free susuki to any one who wanted it .
The significance of this plant is not only its being emblematic of the season. It also resembles rice stalks (though much larger, they are a member of the same family), and thus, moon viewing offerings symbolically connect the old slash and burn agriculture of prehistoric Japan ( the taro) with the culture of rice ( by the presence of susuki and the rice dumplings, in former times the real rice would not have been harvested yet). Susuki also has prickly leaves and stems on its leaves and is sharp where it is cut off, making it useful for symbolically driving away evil.
Most importantly, the stalks act as YORISHIRO (依代), antennae which attract the spirit of the moon to the offerings ( at New Years Kadomatsu, bamboo and pine decorations, are yorishiro- and on childrens day the poles of the carp streamers (Koi nobori) originally had the same function.
Last night as I watched the Tsuchiura fireworks from afar. I was lucky enough to be able to occassionally see the mid-autumn moon whenever the clouds presented an opening. The people around me were all alternately viewing the Hanabi and the moon. It is hard to say which was more entrancing. Standing where we were, amid the fields of pamapas grass was a truly moving Tsukimi experience.
If the moon can fill modern man( for whom it is merely a PIECE OF ROCK orbiting around the Earth), with such wonder, imagine how mysterious and even awesome it was to those who had no scientific explanation for it.
Besides providing precious light at night, the Japanese realized that the moon did have an influence on the world around them, the tides, the activities of animals (sea turtles lay their eggs on full moon nights), etc. They also felt a strong connection between the moon and womens menstrual cycles and by extension childbirth.
It is because of this that in Japan, besides the autumn moon viewing events, there were regularly held prayer meetings on particular days of the month ( depending on the community). In Tsukuba, such meetings ( O-Koh, お講) are still held on the 19th of the month. Numerous sacred stones attest to the fact that other nights were once popular for holding these gatherings at which women prayed for easy delivery and family health. Probably the most common of these stones commemorate prayers on the 23rd night (二十三夜).
Sacred Stone reading- 23rd night ( ni-ju-san ya), indicating that special prayer meeting were held during that phase of the moon
If you didnt do Tsukimi last night, you still have the chance next month.You too can join the minion of LUNATICS. In fact, the moon-viewing afficionados of old would enjoy not only the full moon of the 15th, but also, in their uncontrollable anticipation, watch the 14th night moon. This night was called MACHIYOI (待宵), the night of excited expectation! Then after the 15th, day by day, the moon rises a little later and its shape grows more and more cut-off. There are specific names the poets have given to each of these phases of the mid-autumn moon. Last night on the 16th ( of the old calendar) I viewed the IZAYOI (十六や), tonight the 17th, will be the TACHIMACHI-ZUKI (立待月), the 18th the IMACHI-ZUKI (居待月, and so on.
This year the 13th night of the 9th month (ju-san-ya, 十三夜) will fall on October 30th.
For more on this season read:
http://blog.alientimes.org/2008/11/kaki-is-the-color-and-flavor-of-fall-in-rural-japan/
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A Look at Moon-Viewing ( O-Tsukimi, お月見) in Japan- Tonight (Sept. 12th, 2011)
By Avi Landau
When they followed their traditional LUNISOLAR calendar, now referred to as the kyu-reki (旧暦, former calendar) or inreki (陰暦), the Japanese were always in tune with the MOON and its PHASES. In fact, under that old system of ordering the days, months and seasons ( first introduced to Japan from Tang China via Korea sometime in the mid- 6th century), the days of the month were directly connected to the moons waxing and waning. Thus, it was possible on many specific dates to predict the shape that the moon would take in the sky on that particular night. Most famously, the FULL MOON (満月、mangetsu) would almost always appear on the night of the 15th (ju-go-ya, 十五夜) of each month (tonight -September 12th, 2011) .
Since the Japanese government of the Meiji Period ( a time of rabid Westernization and modernization) decided to drop this old lunisolar calendar in favor of the solar based Gregorian one( in 1873), consciousness of the moon and its cycle has been ON THE WANE, as the dates of the NEW CALENDAR no longer coincide with the lunar phases. Thus, even though some modern Japanese calendars DO show the KOYOMI dates (in hard to notice, small print) , it is still easy to lose track of when important traditional ceremonies are coming up. It is ironic, that it is now CONVENIENCE STORES (an institiution which can be said to bear great responsibility in the precipitous demise of traditional lifestles and family relationships), which help remind the general public about the coming of one of Japan`s MOST ANCIENT AND ENDEARING CUSTOMS- O-Tsukimi ( お月見, Moon-Viewing). They do this by setting up displays ( which look charmingly home-made) featuring the iconic symbols of the event- moons and rabbits ( according to Japanese and Chinese legend, there is a rabbit on the moon!), Tsukimi-Dango ( moon shaped rice dumplings) and Chinese moon cakes, as well as stalks of real pampas grass (susuki, 薄).
Though the moon`s beauty can be appreciated at any time of year, in Japan doing so is strongly connected with AUTUMN. In fact , in Haiku poetry the word moon- TSUKI (月), by itself , is a keyword indicating the fall. This is not only because at that time of year temperatures and weather conditions are at their most suitable for such outdoor activity at night, but also because, in the northern hemisphere, the moon seems to be especially large and NEAR to us during the autumn months.
For the Japanese, whose culture is so connected to the changing of the seasons and the appreciation of natural beauty, viewing this autumn moon ( the Harvest Moon, in English) came to be one of the most cherished and anticipated activities of the year!. There was (is) even the saying- HARU WA HANA- AKI WA TSUKI- in spring cherry blossoms, in autumn the moon! Countless works of art, especially in poetry and painting focused on the moon as its major motif, suggesting not only beauty, but continuous change, and even revival. Here is one very famous ( and anonymous) classical poem which expresses the SPECIAL joy of viewing the moon in mid-autumn:
Tsukizuki ni tsuki miru tsuki wa oo keredo tsuki miru tsuki wa kono tsuki no tsuki ( 月々に月見る月は多けれど月見る月はこの月の月) , which I translate, using the word moon to mean both MONTH and MOON, as it does in Japanese-
Moon after moon there are so many moons to be viewed, but as for a MOON-VIEWING moon there is none other than this moon`s moon!
According to the traditional calendar, the months of autumn are the 7th, 8th and 9th, months. These roughly correspond to the Gregorian late August, September, October and early November. The custom of viewing the mid-autumn full moon (仲秋名月, chu-shu-meigetsu), which appears in the sky on the 15th day of 8th month (sometime in September or October according to the new calendar) while eating , drinking and composing and reciting poetry, was introduced to Japan from China. The oldest record of such a formal Chinese- style Moon-Viewing party held by the Japanese Imperial Court dates back to the year 856 ( the third year of the Emperor Saikou). However, many scholars believe that the Japanese people had been making offerings to the moon, in order to pray for or give thanks for a good harvest, since LONG BEFORE the Chinese style celebrations were introduced.
The reason for assuming this, is that among the common people ( and later for anyone doing Tsuki-Mi), it was (and still is) the custom to offer SATO-IMO (里芋), taro, to the moon in this season , as part of a general rite of prayer called the HATSUHO-MATSURI (初穂祭り, Festival of the First Harvest）. In fact, an alternate name for the mid-autumn full moon is the TARO-FULL-MOON (IMO-MEIGETSU. 芋名月）, which might just very well be a LIVING CONNECTION with Japans prehistoric, pre-rice cultivating past, when the taro was the staple food of the inhabitants of these islands.
Another indication that there was a native Japanese version of the Chinese custom of moon-viewing is the fact that in Japan, it is considered incomplete, or even UNLUCKY to do TSUKI-MI only on the 15th day of the 8th month ( the day the Chinese do it)- which is tonight! Doing so is called KATAMI-TSUKI (片見月）, literally, a half-viewed moon. For a full and satisfactoryTSUKI-MI one also had to view the moon and make offerings on the 13th DAY OF THE 9th MONTH ( called- Ju-san-ya, 十三夜）. It is possible that before the Chinese custom of formal moon-viewing was introduced that the Japanese had a similar custom, involving offerings and supplications to the moon, which took place about one month later. It has also been suggested by commentators, that the shape of the moon on the 13th ( 十三夜), not quite, but just nearly full, is more appealing to the aesthetic sensibilities of the Japanese!
Anyway, no matter what the origins, people continue to do tsukimi to this day. Whereas the Chinese have a national holiday and celebrate by eating large, round moon cakes ( to symbolize family unity), the Japanese make offerings to the moon ( by leaving them in a place exposed to the moon-light) of seasonal crops ( chestnuts, persimons, taro, apples), seasonal plants ( bush clover, etc.) and little round rice dumplings called Tsuki-mi dango. Usually 15 ( for the 15th night) or 12 ( for 12 months of the year) of these dango are placed in a traditional tray called a SANBO (三方) . One very interesting folk belief related to these dango is that your family will have good luck ( and a good harvest) if these little sweets are stolen from your offering tray! Thus, moon-viewing night was an exciting time for kids, who would be permitted, or even encouraged, to steal the neighbors dango. These kids were (are ) called O-Tsuki-Mi Dorobo ( お月見泥棒）。
An essential element for any Tsukimi event is some pampas grass. One thing that stands out in my memory is that every year at moon viewing time, the 7-11 near Doho Park, in Tsukuba, gives out free susuki to any one who wanted it .
The significance of this plant is not only its being emblematic of the season. It also resembles rice stalks (though much larger, they are a member of the same family), and thus, moon viewing offerings symbolically connect the old slash and burn agriculture of prehistoric Japan ( the taro) with the culture of rice ( by the presence of susuki and the rice dumplings, in former times the real rice would not have been harvested yet). Susuki also has prickly leaves and stems on its leaves and is sharp where it is cut off, making it useful for symbolically driving away evil.
Most importantly, the stalks act as YORISHIRO (依代), antennae which attract the spirit of the moon to the offerings ( at New Years Kadomatsu, bamboo and pine decorations, are yorishiro- and on childrens day the poles of the carp streamers (Koi nobori) originally had the same function.
Last year the full moon coincided with the great Tsuchiura fireworks event. As I watched from the HANABI (fireworks) from afar, I was lucky enough to be able to occassionally see the mid-autumn moon whenever the clouds presented an opening. The people around me were all alternately viewing the Hanabi and the moon. It is hard to say which was more entrancing.
If the moon can fill modern man( for whom it is merely a PIECE OF ROCK orbiting around the Earth), with such wonder, imagine how mysterious and even awesome it was to those who had no scientific explanation for it.
Besides providing precious light at night, the Japanese realized that the moon did have an influence on the world around them, the tides, the activities of animals (sea turtles lay their eggs on full moon nights), etc. They also felt a strong connection between the moon and womens menstrual cycles and by extension childbirth.
It is because of this that in Japan, besides the autumn moon viewing events, there were regularly held prayer meetings on particular days of the month ( depending on the community). In Tsukuba, such meetings ( O-Koh, お講) are still held on the 19th of the month. Numerous sacred stones attest to the fact that other nights were once popular for holding these gatherings at which women prayed for easy delivery and family health. Probably the most common of these stones commemorate prayers on the 23rd night (二十三夜).
You can do O-Tsukimi tonight- JU-GO-YA, when the moon is truly full. You then have another chance next month.You too can join the minion of LUNATICS. In fact, the moon-viewing afficionados of old would enjoy not only the full moon of the 15th, but also, in their uncontrollable anticipation, watch the 14th night moon. This night was called MACHIYOI (待宵), the night of excited expectation! Then after the 15th, day by day, the moon rises a little later and its shape grows more and more cut-off. There are specific names the poets have given to each of these phases of the mid-autumn moon- on the 16th ( of the old calendar) you can view the IZAYOI (十六や), the 17th the TACHIMACHI-ZUKI (立待月), the 18th the IMACHI-ZUKI (居待月, and so on.
This year the 13th night of the 9th month (ju-san-ya, 十三夜) will fall on October 9th, 2011.
For more on this season read:
http://blog.alientimes.org/2008/11/kaki-is-the-color-and-flavor-of-fall-in-rural-japan/
Celebrating the season- pampas grass ( susuki) and bush clover ( hagi) at my house in Hojo
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