The Autumn Moonviewing Festival, O-Tsukimi, will be held at the Portland Japanese Garden September 28, 29, 30th from 6- 8:30 pm.
On
a quiet autumn evening more than 200 years ago, a retired imperial
prince sat patiently on the polished bamboo floor of the veranda waiting
for the moon’s reflection to shimmer across the pond of one of the
world’s most exquisite gardens at Katsura Imperial Villa in western
Kyoto. As it rose in the sky, he lifted his sake cup to catch its
reflection and bring him good luck in love—something even emperors need.
Here
in Portland, we have a place patterned after just such a garden, where
people gather to sit and wait for that very same moon to raise high in
the evening sky in autumn.
There is no better place in Portland to
share the romance and mystery of the full moon in autumn than from the
eastern courtyard of the Portland Japanese Garden Pavilion, with cup of
sake in hand, gazing at the harvest moon as it rises above the city.
Moonviewing, or
O-Tsukimi,
is a traditional Japanese festival which honors the full moon in
autumn. On the evenings of September 28, 29, and 30, guests enjoy a
quiet evening in the Garden, observe a candle-lit tea ceremony in the
Kashintei Tea House and listen to the elegant live music.
Poetry
reading and writing have been part of traditional moonviewing events in
Japan for centuries. Guests are invited to write their own poetry in
honor of the autumn moon and listen to poetry readings in the Garden
Pavilion. Sip
sake or tea, enjoy a light sampling of seasonal
Japanese foods, and experience a rare walk through the lantern-lit
Garden during moonlit hours.
Issoan Tea will be presenting Tea Ceremony at Kashintei Tea House on Saturday, September 29.
September 28, 29, and 30, 2012
6:00-8:30 p.m., rain or shine
$25 members / $35 non-members
Reservations required; Space is limited
Reserve online or call (503) 542-0280
