Feb. 13, 2019 UPDATE

Part 2: 6 ways to further enjoy the elegant autumn Kangetsu no Yube moon viewing event

Second part! Sharing Kyoto's writers went to Kangetsu no Yube moon viewing party to view and bark at the moon!
Erika[ Sharing Kyoto Staff ]

For this article, I went for the first time last night to participate in the Moon-Viewing Party at Daikaku-ji Temple! This event was introduced on the Events page of Sharing Kyoto, and after actually going, I can understand its appeal!


It is not often that you get to see both a round, full moon floating both in the sky and on the water’s surface. It an emotional experience to see this sight with my own two eyes.


In the first part of this series, we covered the events leading up to the actual Moon-Viewing Party. Now, the time has finally come to introduce the remaining 3 points for enjoying the Moon-Viewing Party!


▼Click here for more details about the event

http://sharing-kyoto.com/event_Kangetsu_no_Yube/


④ Join the Tea Ceremony!


The Moon-Viewing Party offers a tea ceremony where everyone can enjoy matcha (powdered green tea) and Japanese sweets.


A separate ticket is required to participate. Here we are waiting in line.


many people
Tea ceremony tickets go on sale from 5pm at the main temple building of Daikaku-ji Temple. We arrived 10 minutes before the sales started, but there were already this many people!


tea ceremony tickets
We managed to get tea ceremony tickets! Afterwards, we headed straight to the waiting room to be called for our turn.


tea ceremony location

After being called, we moved to the tea ceremony location.


The seats offer a full view of the Osawa-no-ike Pond, where the moon-viewing boats operate. As the sun sets, the seats become a prime location for viewing the full moon.


Japanese sweets

matcha
Sweets and matcha were passed around for us to enjoy. The sweet was a manju (Japanese-style bun) with chestnut—a little taste of autumn. The matcha was delightful as well, with a delicious, gentle bitterness.


around 5pm
This photo is from around 5pm. The sun was still setting, but the main character of the event, the full moon, revealed its face! The moon of that day (9/15) is called the “harvest moon.” The full moon we saw was large and brightly lit.


⑤ Enjoy the Food Stalls!


After sipping matcha at the tea ceremony, all that remained was to wait our turn to ride the boat. We had some time until 6pm, so we took a walk near the boarding area.


Enjoy the Food Stalls!

rest spaces
Osawa-no-ike Pond has food stalls arranged around it, and there were many rest spaces prepared.


moon dumplings

This is what moon viewing is all about! Don’t miss a chance to try some tasty moon dumplings.


delicious!

This mochi rice cake with a hearty helping of red bean paste on top looks so delicious! And it only costs ¥150 for this much!


Afterwards, we also saw stalls selling sweet mitarashi dango, bento boxed lunches and pickles on a stick. What a lively atmosphere!


Pickle on a stick

Pickle on a stick is one of Erika’s favorites!


YUBA-man

The food stalls had some more peculiar options too, like these dishes made with dried tofu! The YUBA-man perks my interest. The winds get a bit chilly in the evening, so warm foods are a welcome sight!


majestic pagoda

This majestic pagoda can be found near the food stalls. The pagoda lights up with the setting of the sun—don’t miss this spectacle!


As we were enjoying the food stalls and chewing on sweet dango dumplings, we heard a voice announcing, “Guests holding 6pm boat boarding tickets, please report to the boarding area.”


⑥ Ride the Boat!


Ride the Boat!

Finally, the main event! Time to ride the boat!


Make sure you report to the boarding area on time so you don’t miss your boat. The location is close to the food stalls, and getting lost shouldn’t be a problem.


The 6 pm boat is second in popularity after the 7 pm one. There was an incredible number of people lined up at the boarding area. Aside from those boarding the boat, the area was also crowded with people snapping photos of the full moon over Osawa-no-ike Pond. The whole area around the boat ramp was bustling with commotion.


past 6pm

The skies darkened nicely
This photo was taken a little past 6pm. The skies darkened nicely, and the moon shone brighter than ever. It made for quite the elegant view. I recommend purchasing the 6pm ticket; it lets you watch the sunset as you wait in line.


the moon in the sky

I managed to get a good shot of the moon in the sky reflecting off the water. The boat waiting area was right in front of the lake, so the wait wasn’t much trouble at all.


A procession of monks

After 10 minutes just enjoying the moon, we saw that something was about the happen at the central altar! A procession of monks from the temple and women wearing shrine maidens’ clothing made its way down the walkway.


Full Moon Memorial Service

This ceremony is called the “Full Moon Memorial Service,” and it is only held during one day of the Moon-Viewing Party. Offerings are placed on the altar, and prayer is given for a bountiful harvest and the happiness of the people.


The ceremony was held amidst a dignified atmosphere. This was the only day out of the 3 days of the Moon-Viewing Party where the ritual could be seen—what a precious experience!


special ceremony

After the end of the special ceremony, it was back to waiting in line. Finally, our turn came! The boats come in two types, called Ryu-tou and Gekishu. This time, we got to ride the Gekishu boat. What an exotic design.


Time to board!

Time to board!


The boat was surprisingly roomy inside

The boat was surprisingly roomy inside. They said it can fit up to 24 people.


Osawa-no-ike pond

speedy and gave us a cool,
The boat takes around 15 minutes to circle Osawa-no-ike pond. The boat was surprisingly speedy and gave us a cool, pleasant breeze to enjoy. The boat also gave a spectacular view of the altar and surrounding scenery bathed in light.


Our boat voyage was over in an instant!

Our boat voyage was over in an instant!


We finished our boat ride

We finished our boat ride and decided to finish the day with a stroll around the lake. The pagoda we say earlier was lit-up beautifully and clearly reflected off the lake’s surface. The day was cloudy, and we were worried whether we’d be able to see any beautiful scenery at all, but the skies cleared in the evening and we were rewarded with this magical sight.


foreign visitors

The food stalls were still alive with energy after 7pm, with crowds of people still enjoying the event. There was something fun for anyone—we saw couples, friends, families with children and even foreign visitors like the one in the picture!


Strangely, such opportunities to leisurely gaze upon the autumn’s full moon do not come often. How about participating next year?

A comment from the staff
Shiho
The weather that day was just right—not too hot and not too cold. We got to immerse ourselves in the experience of an autumn night from aboard the boat. The boat ride on Osawa-no-ike pond had none of the crowded clatter and bright light of the city area. It was a wonderful breath of peace and quiet spent bathed in the soft light of the moon. The Moon-Viewing Party is a limited event held only on moon-viewing days. The next one isn’t until next year, but we highly recommend you give it a visit!
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