Japanese Moon-Viewing and the Autumnal Equinox/お月見と秋分の日

Though this is up a little late, I still figured it would be fun to write about the “moon-viewing” event held here in Seika on September 23rd. Never having been to moon watching event before, I knew little about the practice, other than the fact that everyone eats “dango,” sweet rice ball treats. My sweet tooth demanded my participation.
もう大分古い話ですが、けいはんな記念公園の「観月の夕べ」に参加しました。お月見などに行ったことがなかったので、何が起こるか分かりませんでしたが､皆が団子を食べる事は分かっていました。だから､別腹を鎮めようとおもいました。

Though the main event was moon watching (obviously) there were performances by three different traditional Japanese music groups. We got there (My dad came to Japan to visit and I went with him,) at around 7, and though we sadly missed the Taiko performance, the other two groups were wonderful, with haunting flute melodies and a great combination of traditional Japanese instruments and a more modern beat. There was also the moon art exhibit, an ongoing art competition based on the theme of the moon, where people could vote for their favorite piece.

イベントの主な部分はお月見だったが､三つの伝統的な音楽グループによる演奏もありました。私と来日中の父は７時ごろに着いて、残念ながら最初の太鼓グループの演奏を見ることが出来ませんでした、他の二グループは本当に凄かったです。講演以外には、月のアート展もあって､一番好きな作品を投票できました。

It was jam packed with people, and everyone seemed to be having a very relaxing time sitting, snacking on treats, observing the moon through the telescope and just enjoying the sights and sounds.

とても賑やかで皆がリラックスしたり、お菓子食べたり､望遠鏡で月を見たりして、雰囲気を楽しんでいるようでした。

The moon kept going in and out of clouds which made for a very dramatic scene, and as stereotypical as it sounds, standing next to bamboo and watching the moon through the clouds, I couldn’t help but thinking how very Japanese and zen it all seemed. Then I ate about 15 dango and completely ruined the moment. Oh well.

月は雲の後ろに隠れたり出たり、本当に、「日本」の感じがしました。団子１５個ぐらい食べてしまって、その素的な雰囲気を壊しました。