The moon

They say that the moon makes people crazy in Western and makes Japanese romantic.

The moon has been a major motif in waka, hakiku, essays and stories. Also it has played an important role in the beauty of Japan, together with the snow and flowers.

Anyway, what attracts people so much? The main attraction is its light. The slight light makes the night the hazy world, quite unlike the lightness in the day and the darkness at night. Japanese prefer to the unclear world and slight difference, made by the dim light. They feel comfortable with them. Originally, watching the moon was for longing for the long life. The continuous wax and wane meant the eternity cycle of life and death, related to the Buddhism.

The moon has also had a big influence on gardens. A balcony to the pond in Katsura Imperial Villa, built more than 400 years ago, is for savoring the moon. The frame was made of wood and the floor was made of bamboo. There is a pond in front of the balcony and people in those days enjoy the reflected moon on the pond, sitting the bamboo floor. Ginkakuji Temple, made more than 600 years ago, has a object made of sand. It looks like a truncated cone. When the night has come, the flat on the top shines like a moon, reflected by the light of the moon. They say that the sand object contains something of quartz to shine better.

In this way the moon greatly related to the beauty in Japan. September or October are best to see the moon because of the mild climate still at night and the clear sky. One of Japanese saying is Tsukimi-zake and it means drinking while watching the moon in autumn. Beer is best during summer, but now hot sake is best in autumn and winter.