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O-Tsukimi Moon Viewing Festival
Experience one of Japan’s most coveted cultural evenings. Stroll through lantern-lit paths, gather with tea in hand to await the moonrise, compose haiku, and savor a bento-style dinner provided by Obon Shokudo as the sounds of traditional Japanese instruments drift through the air.
Moonviewing, or O-Tsukimi in Japanese, is the practice of gazing at the full moon and enjoying its sacred beauty. Since 1990, Portland Japanese Garden has scheduled this beloved annual event to coincide with the harvest moon, which occurs anytime from September to early October. There is no better place in Portland to share the romance and mystery of this special custom than from the eastern overlook of the Portland Japanese Garden Pavilion with its views of the city skyline and Mount Hood.
O-Tsukimi (literally, “looking at the moon”) is the practice of gazing at the harvest moon, the full moon in mid-autumn, and enjoying its beauty. In Japan, the custom of holding these celebrations is thought to have been started by aristocrats in the Heian period that lasted from the 8th to 12th centuries. Courtiers gathered for an elegant evening to admire the full moon, drink saké, recite poetry, play musical instruments, and pray for good fortune and an abundant harvest.
Upcoming Dates & Times
- Sunday, Oct. 5
- 5:30 p.m.–8 p.m.
- Monday, Oct. 6
- 5 p.m.–7:30 p.m.
- Tuesday, Oct. 7
- 5:30 p.m.–8 p.m.