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posted 07/28/10 11:54 AM | updated 07/28/10 05:13 PM
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The Seattle Japanese Garden (1075 Lake Washington Blvd. E) presents an evening of moon viewing (tsukimi no kai) on Saturday, Aug 21, 2010 from 7 to 10 p.m. (the gate will open at 6 p.m.). Enjoy a diverse night of cultural entertainment in honor of the moon:

  • A performance by the performers Kogut Butoh will include a rogue samurai and coy geisha wandering through the Garden. Later in the evening, Kogut Butoh will perform an ethereal dance inspired by ukiyo-e (“pictures of the floating world”) images.
  • James Jennings, Chigusa Kitai, Marcia Takamura will perform on the koto, a traditional Japanese stringed instrument, and shakuhachi, a Japanese end-blown flute.
  • Haiku Northwest will read haiku inspired by the beauty of the moon. Come prepared with a haiku of your own, and enter our Moon Viewing poetry contest! Winning poems will be read during the event and prizes will be awarded.
  • View a special appearance by the moon (weather permitting) through telescopes provided by the Seattle Astronomical Society.
  • Washington Park Arboretum Education and Outreach Unit will facilitate activities designed to highlight our understanding of the Garden at night.
  • Urasenke Foundation Seattle Branch will present a Tsukimi Chakai (Moon Viewing Tea Gathering) at 7:30 & 8:30 p.m. Teas for this event are by $20 (plus $15 event admission) by advance reservation on Brown Paper Tickets.

Tickets, which cost $15, are available through Brown Paper Tickets.

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why then?
From what I can see on the internets, the moon will rise at 6:42 that day and the sun sets at 8:11. Which means it will be 2 hours into this 3 hour event before you have a prayer of seeing the moon. And, the Garden doesn't offer much in the way of sight lines, so the moon's got to be pretty darn high to even see it in the middle of the night.

Sure doesn't seem like much of an opportunity for prime moon-viewing. Am I missing something?
Comment by bilco
3 days ago
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RE: why then?
You ask, we answer, bilco! The original Japanese festival is tied to the Harvest Moon, which in 2010 is September 22 or 23, depending on how the internet is feeling. I'll assume that they thought Saturday night was a better night to have people stay up late.
Comment by Michael van Baker
3 days ago
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RE: why then?
Harvest moon in September, I get. Seattle August moon, not so much. While moonrise for Seattle is 6:42 that day, it's 4:17 in Tokyo (a proxy for all of Japan), due to their more southern location. The moon will be mid-sky, with it's highest point at 9:30. Perfect for Japan, not so much for Seattle.

All I'm sayin - go to have fun, but don't expect to see that moon!
Comment by bilco
3 days ago
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RE: why then?
Yes, September...that's a good point. September isn't August. I somehow skipped over that when I saw 22, and the other date was 21. In that case, no, I have no idea what the deal is.
Comment by Michael van Baker
3 days ago
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