Tsukimi (Moon Viewing) · Worksheet 1
A Rabbit on the Moon: Tsukimi in Japan
Read the story. 英文を読もう。
1Look up at the moon on a clear autumn night. Can you see a rabbit? In Japan, people say a rabbit lives on the moon and makes rice cakes. Each fall, families put out food for the moon and enjoy its light. This custom is called tsukimi, or moon viewing.
2Tsukimi came from China a long time ago. The oldest record of a moon party in Japan is from 859. Rich people at the palace wrote poems and played music under the moon. Some of them sat in boats and looked at the moon in the water. In an old story from the same time, Princess Kaguya goes back to the moon on this very night.
3Today, tsukimi is on the 15th night of the eighth month of the old moon calendar. It is usually in September or early October. Families put round rice dumplings and tall grass called susuki by the window. Some people also offer taro, because it is harvest time.
4Here is a fun fact. The moon on this night is not always full. In 2026, tsukimi was on September 25, but the full moon came two days later. This happens because the moon often takes more than 14 days to grow full, and the number of days changes every month. So the 15th night and the full moon are often one or two days apart.
5Many countries in Asia enjoy the same moon. Chinese families eat mooncakes, and Koreans go back to their hometowns for Chuseok. In Vietnam, children walk through the streets with bright lanterns. So next time you see the autumn moon, say hello to the rabbit!
- moon viewing 月見
- full moon 満月
- custom 習慣、風習
- rice cake 餅
- dumpling 団子
- offer 供える
- harvest 収穫
- palace 宮殿、宮廷
- poem 詩
- calendar 暦
- lantern 灯籠、ちょうちん
- mooncake 月餅