Google reminded me that today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, which, Wikipedia cryptically notes, “is held on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Han calendar—essentially the night of a full moon—which falls near the Autumnal Equinox (on a day between September 8 and October 7 in the Gregorian calendar).” I guess that means the nearest full moon either prior to or following the equinox, which is next week; this year, the festival is much earlier than usual. In Japanese, it can be called 中秋 (Chūshū - Mid-Autumn); however, 月見(Tsukimi - Viewing the Moon) is more common. Another term is 中秋の名月(Chūshū no Meigetsu), which can be translated as “harvest moon.”
Also known as the Moon Festival, it is wildly popular in other Northeast Asian countries but only mildly so in Japan. As clearly there are rabbits making mochi on the Moon, that is a common theme; some put out decorations of ススキ(pampas grass) and stacks of mochi. Despite the lack of celebration, this evening should be clear enough to provide some excellent Moon-viewing opportunities. Happy Tsukimi to our readers! - William