O-Tsukimi, the Moonviewing Festival

Experience one of our most coveted cultural evenings. Stroll through lantern-lit paths, gather with tea in hand to await the moonrise, compose haiku, and savor a bento-style dinner provided by Obon Shokudo as the sounds of traditional Japanese instruments drift through the air. Moonviewing, or O-Tsukimi in Japanese, is the practice of gazing at the full moon and enjoying its sacred beauty. Since 1990, Portland Japanese Garden has scheduled this beloved annual event to coincide with the harvest moon, which occurs anytime from September to early October. There is no better place in Portland to share the romance and mystery of this special custom than from the eastern overlook of the Portland Japanese Garden Pavilion with its views of the city skyline and Mount Hood.