Join us for a magical evening of moon gazing, strolls along candlelit paths, ethereal live music and nature-inspired poetry at our annual Moon Viewing Festival, Otsukimi.
The celebration of the harvest moon is a tradition that goes back to 8th century Japan, when aristrocrats extolled the moon's captivating beauty with music and poetry.
Musical performances include Marcia Takamura and Chigusa Kitai on koto, James Jennings on shakuhachi, Gretchen Yanover on Cello, and White Swans Records arti...
Join us for a magical evening of moon gazing, strolls along candlelit paths, ethereal live music and nature-inspired poetry at our annual Moon Viewing Festival, Otsukimi.
The celebration of the harvest moon is a tradition that goes back to 8th century Japan, when aristrocrats extolled the moon's captivating beauty with music and poetry.
Musical performances include Marcia Takamura and Chigusa Kitai on koto, James Jennings on shakuhachi, Gretchen Yanover on Cello, and White Swans Records artist Gary Stroutsos on bamboo flute.
The festival features a popular haiku writing contest sponsored by Haiku Northwest. Winning poems, which are awarded prizes, will be read aloud to the audience at the end of the evening.
Visitors can get a special look at the full moon through telescopes, provided courtesy of Seattle Astronomical Society.
The evening also includes three tsukimi-chakai tea ceremonies led by Chanoyu Seattle Omotosenke-Ryu, to be held in the Shoseian Teahouse located within the garden grounds.
By popular request, this year’s festival includes the option of dining by candlelight at the garden. Guests can opt to pre-purchase a deluxe bento dinner along with event admission. 2 menu options available, quantities are limited.
General admission tickets are $15. Admission with tea ceremony is $25. This event has sold out prior to the event date in past years; there are no door tickets. Annual passes are not valid for admission to this event. A limited version of the program will be delivered in case of rain, no refunds.
