Admiring the Moon

Today was a holiday of sorts in Japan.  It is the day of Tsukimi, or moon-viewing.  The moon-viewing takes place on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar and is a day to stop and appreciate the autumn moon.  It is a tradition that is still widely celebrated today with sitting outside (or near a window), gazing at the moon, and eating sweets called dango.

We were fortunate to be able to go up to the top of the Mori Building in Roppongi Hills to view the moon.  The top of the 54 floor building has an observation deck and you can even go out on the roof to see the views of the city.  If you recall, I'm a bit nervous around heights, but I really wanted to enjoy this moment with my family. 

We invited some neighbors to go with us, as we figured their 2 girls and our son would enjoy the time together.  Going with friends was really nice, even with over the top excited kids.  Right from the meet up, they were all bouncing off the walls with excitement.

We walked over to the Mori Building, paid our admission, and took the elevator up to the observation level.  The views of Tokyo at night were breathtaking.  For some reason I wasn't as nervous as I was in the Tokyo Tower and was able to relax enough to really enjoy the sights. 

Tokyo Tower

After going around the perimeter of the building, we were ready to head up to the roof.  We put our bags in lockers (only phones and cameras were allowed on the roof - no bags of any kind), and got on another elevator that took us up to the roof.  We then went up 2 small flights of stairs and were there.  We were on the roof of a 54 story building.  It was incredible.  The air was crisp, but clear and it felt like you could see for miles and miles.  There were clouds in the sky, but they were high up and didn't obstruct the view of the city lights.  It did, however, hide the moon. 

There is a helicopter pad in the center of the roof that we were asked to stay off until 7 pm.  So we wandered around the perimeter of the roof gawking at all the beautiful lights.  After a short time up there, we found a place to sit and were just enjoying the moment, when suddenly, the moon peeked out from between the clouds.  We, and many others, started applauding with joy.  It was truly exhilarating to see the beauty of the moon on this special night.  For the next 15 minutes or so, we watched as it danced around the clouds, in and out of view.  Every time it graced us, we felt excited and happy.

As we wandered back to the apartment, we stopped by a traditional sweets shop to purchase dango.  Dango is a treat made from sweet rice flour rolled (usually) into a ball.  The dango we bought was in a log shape and covered with sweet red bean paste, or anko.  The sweetness is much less than what we are used to in the states, but it is a lovely (in my opinion) flavor.  The dango is a bit on the chewy side, but I love it.

As we celebrated the moon-viewing tonight, I felt more connected to the culture than I have since I arrived here.  Even though I am still and outsider looking in, I felt part of the celebration.