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Nagatsuki — When Japan Looks Up at the Moon

 

September has a beautiful traditional Japanese name: 長月 (Nagatsuki), commonly understood as “the month of long nights.”

 

For Japanese people, September marks an important change in the rhythm of the year. The exhausting heat of summer finally begins to weaken. The air becomes cooler, yet the cold of winter is still far away. After months of heat and humidity, people can finally feel a sense of relief.

 

This is the beginning of 秋の夜長 (aki no yonaga), the “long autumn nights.”

 

Perhaps that is why the moon becomes such an important part of Japanese autumn culture. 月見 (tsukimi), or moon viewing, is a tradition of quietly appreciating the autumn moon. 名月 (meigetsu) means a particularly beautiful moon, and 中秋の名月 (chūshū no meigetsu) celebrates the famous harvest moon.

 

September is not simply another month in Japan. It is a transition.

 

The cicadas begin to disappear. The evenings become longer. The air changes.

 

It is also a great time to visit Japan. The summer crowds begin to ease, the weather becomes more comfortable, and the changing season offers a different side of Japanese culture.

 

After a long, hot summer, people can finally sit outside, look up at the night sky, and enjoy the moon.

 

That feeling is Nagatsuki.