Autumn is the good season to see the moon. Especially on the 15th night of the eighth month and the 13th night of the ninth month in the Japanese old calendar are famous for moon-viewing, tsukimi (月見) or o tsukimi (お月見). 15th night is called jyugoya (十五夜) , it is a full moon night, and it is also called chushu no meigetsu (中秋の名月), the harvest moon. 13th night is called jyusanya (十三夜). They fall on in September and October of the modern calendar. Today is jyusanya.
On jyugoya we decorate Japanese pampas grass called susuki (すすき) and offer and eat dumplings called tsukimi dango (月見団子) to celebrate the beauty of the moon. Sweet potatoes are also offered. On jyusanya beans and chestnuts are offered. Therefore alternative names of the celebrations are imo meigetsu (芋名月), literally potato harvest moon, and mame meigetsu (豆名月), bean harvest moon, and kuri meigetsu (栗名月), chestnut harvest moon.
The custom of jyugoya came from China, but the custom of jyusanya is original in Japan.
We could see the beautiful moon tonight.
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