Itotatsu created an astonishing sweet for moon-viewing😊

'Tsukimi manjū' (月見饅頭), a steamed bun filled with bean jam, is actually themed on an earlier festival in the year known as 'Kashō-no-hi' (嘉祥の日). The moon also played an important role on this day.

Kashō-no-hi' (嘉祥の日), held on June 16th, was primarily about offering sweets as a prayer for health and prosperity, but on this day girls (from the nobility) turning 16 would celebrate their coming-of-age.

#wagashi #和菓子 #moonviewing #Kyoto

In an unusual custom the girls would make a hole in one of the sweets🤔

The girl would peer at the moon through the hole in the sweet, & while her attention was diverted the long sleeves of her (childhood) kimono would be cut. This act of slicing short the kimono sleeves symbolised the transition from girl to women.
This was mostly a palace ritual.

'Kashō-no-hi' became an annual ritual after Emperor Ninmyō offered 16 kinds of sweets to the gods (16th June 848) in an attempt to halt an epidemic.

It was believed both the moon and sun played important roles in the agricultural cycle.
People thought the god who controlled water resided in the moon, and thus it was important to honour him correctly so the rice might grow.
When the crop was older thanks was given to the sun.

During the Tang Dynasty in China, the Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋節) grew in popularity. A central part of these celebrations was moon worship and thanksgiving for upcoming harvests.

#moonviewing #月見 #harvestmoon #fullmoon

In the early Heian period the custom of hosting gatherings under the full moon reached Japan.

Due to the relative positions of the sun, moon and earth at this time of year, the mid-autumn moon appears particularly bright. The Heian aristocracy indulged in grand banquets beneath the light of the moon.

Boating at ponds such as Ōsawa-no-ike (大覚寺/大沢池), Hirosawa-no-ike (広沢池) and Shinsen-en (神泉苑) was popular as the moon's reflection in the water was considered most poetic.

Many places, Ishiyama-dera being a famous example, had their own moon-viewing pavilions (月見亭).

Legend has it that on the 15th night of the 8th month in 1004 Murasaki Shikibu (紫式部), on retreat with her mistress Empress Shōshi at Ishiyama-dera (石山寺), was inspired to write 'The Tale of Genji'.
The event is immortalized in the temple's 'Genji Room'.

#Ishiyamadera #石山寺 #MurasakiShikibu #紫式部 #Shiga #滋賀県 #Japan

One of the most interesting 'moon-viewing pavilions' can be found at Okayama Castle (岡山城).

The Tsukimi-yagura (月見櫓 'Moon-viewing Turret') was the only castle structure to completely survive the air raids of 1945.
It was used mostly for weapon storage.

Guarding the north west corner of the castle's middle level, the tower was constructed by the Lord of Okayama Ikeda Tadakatsu (池田忠雄) in 1620.
Although moon-viewing platforms are common, such turrets are extremely rare.

#Okayama #岡山 #岡山城 #Japan

#Republican #LIAR #JDVance #Vance doing his "part" to spread #misinformation #disinformation and #hate...

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