Tokyo Weekender - October 2017

The Moon
and Beyond
First on the scene was a monkey, curious to
Brian Christian reflects
find out where this strange old beggar had
sprung from, closely followed by an equally
on the Japanese custom of inquisitive fox and a rather nervous rabbit
autumn moon viewing
(most rabbits are nervous when there’s a fox
about).
“Please help me,” begged the old man.
“I’m starving. Is there any food to be found
round here?” To be honest he was putting
it on a bit but, as any guest in this country
learns very quickly, there is no more distressing
sight to a Japanese host than a hungry
visitor. The monkey immediately dashed off
through the trees and soon returned with an
armful of looted fruit and the wily fox was
just as quick to snaffle a fine fish from a nearby
stream.
The people of Japan have an intriguing
affinity with the natural world.
Perhaps an acute awareness of
Mother Nature’s potential for savage
violence encourages an appreciation
of her more forgiving moods. Whatever the
reason, this is a country where the everyday
wonders of the fields, forests and mountains,
and of the changing seasons are often a cause
for celebration. Think of the springtime hanami
parties to welcome the cherry blossom
and later in the year, as the temperatures
fall and the leaves begin to turn, all those
weekend pilgrimages to marvel at the reds
and golds of autumn.
The Japanese fascination with sakura
and koyo is well known but at this time of
year another long-established custom comes
to the fore. Tsukimi or “moon-gazing” may
be associated with occasional special lunar
events but in this country we don’t have to
wait for an eclipse to turn our attention to
our extra-terrestrial neighbour. A full moon
in any month is worthy of our appreciation
and at this time of the year the Harvest Moon
is always a special cause for celebration. Children
all over Japan will enjoy eating sweet
tsukimi dango (white rice dumplings) and
singing their jugoya songs to the rabbit in the
moon. That’s right, the rabbit in the moon.
Once upon a long time ago, so the story
goes, the old man of the moon crossed the
sky to explore the big blue world below.
The journey was long and tiring – he was a
very old man after all – and when he finally
arrived he was famished and desperately in
need of sustenance. Luckily for him, he had
made landfall in Japan where they happen
to know a thing or two about hospitality and
good food, so help was not long in coming.
CHILDREN ALL OVER
JAPAN WILL ENJOY
EATING TSUKIMI DANGO
AND SINGING THEIR
JUGOYA SONGS TO THE
RABBIT IN THE MOON
The rabbit however, though just as eager to
please, could only hop round and round in a
state of bewildered panic: “What can I give
him? He can’t eat grass, the owl café isn’t
open yet and the nearest vegetable patch is
miles away…” Eventually, he came up with a
not-so-bright and rather macabre, idea: “Dear
old fellow,” he said. “A persimmon or two and
a few slices of fresh sashimi are all very well
but you need something more substantial to
warm you up. If you could light a fire, I would
be honoured to provide you with a tasty roasted
rabbit.”
Now if this had been just any hungry traveller
the story might have had a very different
ending but it all worked out well in the end.
Surprised and strangely moved by the suicidal
generosity of his new-found furry friend,
instead of reaching for a box of matches and
his chopsticks, the grateful old man gathered
him up in his arms and flew back home to the
moon where, as every Japanese child knows,
they both lived happily ever after – as enthusiastic
vegetarians.
This year the Harvest Moon rises on October
4 in the Japanese micro-season (there are
72 of them!) of mizu hajimete karuru (when
farmers drain the fields). It won’t quite be
a full moon – that comes two days later on
the sixth – but the rabbit will still be clearly
visible to anyone who chooses to look heavenwards
and as the children sing their songs
many adults will raise a cup of sake and give
thanks for nature’s bounty.
It seems to me that a folk-tale about
generosity and selflessness and kindness
to strangers is one worth thinking about in
these uncertain times. Too often our daily
news is dominated by stories of blind nationalism,
narrow self-interest and a blatant
disregard for the needs of our neighbours
or of the generations to come. It may be no
more than a child’s fairy-story but perhaps
we should all look up at the moon tonight and
remember the rabbit…
Usagi usagi
Nani mite haneru
Juugoya o-tsuki-sama
Mite haneru
(Oh, rabbit on the moon,
What are you leaping for?
I shall leap, I shall leap soon
At the large full moon!)
Brian Christian is the Principal of the British
School in Tokyo.
44 | OCTOBER 2017 | TOKYO WEEKENDER
TOKYO WEEKENDER | OCTOBER 2017 | 44