Moon viewing - Tsukimi

It is the act of gazing at and appreciating the moon, but generally refers to worshiping the moon on the 15th night of August or the 13th night of September. In Iwate Prefecture and Kumamoto Prefecture, there are some places where the 15th night of the New Year is considered moon viewing.

In many places, offerings of moon-viewing rice dumplings and field crops such as taro (coroast potatoes) and chestnuts harvested that year are made, and decorations are made with Japanese pampas grass. The fifteenth night of August is also called the potato-meitsuki, and the thirteenth night of September is also called the bean-meitsuki, and in some places it is believed that if you enjoy moon-viewing in August, you will also enjoy moon-viewing in September. Enjoying only one of these is called "katatsukimi," and in Tokyo and other areas, it is said that viewing only one of the two will bring misfortune and is therefore avoided. In the coastal areas of Fukuoka Prefecture, the thirteenth night of September is called "onna-meitsuki," and it is said that this day is when women have the upper hand. This may be related to the fact that the fifteenth night of August is called the Mid-Autumn Festival in China, and is considered a festival for women. In China, moon cakes and round fruits such as watermelons, pears, and persimmons are also offered to the moon, and the offerings at the Japanese moon-viewing festival are similar.

In Nagano Prefecture, there is a saying called "Kome no Tsukimi" (Wheat Moon Viewing), and it is said that if the weather is good on the night of the 15th night of August, there will be a good wheat harvest, or the middle part of the rice will be good. In Sado, the wheat harvest moon is the full moon on June 15th, and on this night, wheat dumplings are offered.

In many regions, it is acceptable to take offerings from any household during the moon-viewing season. Even in the Tokyo area, it is said that if a child takes one, it is auspicious. In Nagano Prefecture, it is acceptable to take one sash (a full sash) on this night, not just offerings, but also field crops. A full sash means the amount that can be tied into a sash. In Osaka and other areas, it is said that an apron full is acceptable. This is the only thing that can be stolen openly. Today, this act is banned in schools as it is considered to be poor educational practice, but originally stealing was done by the gods who visited on this night, and people understood it as acceptance by the gods, and were happy about it being stolen.

There is also a custom of fortune-telling the year's luck by the light of the moon on the 15th night of the New Year. In Okinawa, on the 15th night of August, people make mochi rice cakes covered with red beans called fuchagi, climb a hill overlooking the entire village, and look at the houses illuminated by the moon. It is said that prosperous houses are dark, while houses with misfortune appear bright even from the inside. In Iwate, Kumamoto, Gifu and other prefectures, it is customary to look at one's shadow projected by the moonlight on the night of the 15th night of the New Year and use this to fortune-tell one's luck for the year. It is said that anyone whose shadow has no head will die that year. Fortune-telling for the year indicates that this night marked the turning point of the year, and moon-viewing on the 15th night of the August month was also one of the customs of New Year's Eve.

[Kamata Hisako]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

月を眺め賞することであるが、一般には八月十五夜、九月十三夜の月を祀(まつ)ることをいう。岩手県、熊本県では正月の十五夜を月見とする所もある。

　月見には、月見団子と、その年収穫したいも（サトイモ、サツマイモ）やクリなどの畑作物を供え、ススキを飾る所が多い。八月十五夜を芋名月、九月十三夜を豆名月ともいい、8月の月見をすれば、9月の月見もかならずするものだという所がある。どちらか一方のみをすることを、片月見といって忌み、東京などでは片月見は災いがくるといって忌んでいた。福岡県の海岸地方では九月十三夜を女名月といい、この日は女が幅を利かす日だと伝えている。これは、中国で八月十五夜を中秋節といって、女の祭りとされているのと関連するのかもしれない。中国でも月餅(げっぺい)やスイカ、ナシ、カキなどの丸い果実を月に供えているが、日本の月見の供物も同様である。

　長野県には、小麦の月見ということばがあり、八月十五夜の晩、天気がよければ小麦が豊作、あるいは稲の中手がよいとも伝えている。小麦の名月は、佐渡では6月15日の満月で、この夜、小麦の団子を供えるという。

　月見の供物は、どこの家のものでもとってよいという地方は多い。東京近郊でも子供にとられると縁起がよいと伝えている。長野県では襷(たすき)一杯だけは、供物だけでなく、畑作物でもこの夜はとってよいという。襷一杯とは、襷で結ぶことのできる量ということである。大阪などでは前掛け一杯のものならよいと伝えている。これだけは公然と盗んでもよいというわけである。今日ではこの行為は、教育上よくないといって学校で禁じているが、本来は、盗みは、この夜訪れてくる神に盗まれること、すなわち神に受納されたと理解し、盗まれることを喜んでいたのである。

　十五夜の月の光によって1年の運を占う風(ふう)もある。沖縄では、八月十五夜にフチャギという小豆(あずき)を表面につけた餅(もち)をつくり、集落全体が見渡せる小高い所に登り、月に照らし出された家々を眺める。栄える家は暗く沈み、厄(やく)のある家は、家の中まで明るく見えるという。岩手県、熊本県、岐阜県などでも、正月十五夜の晩、月の光に映し出された自分の影を見て、1年の運を卜(ぼく)する風があった。影に首のない者は、その年のうちに死ぬというのである。1年の占いをすることは、この夜が年の境であったことを示すもので、八月十五夜の月見も、年越しの一つの習俗だったのである。

［鎌田久子］

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