Japanese Moon Viewing

Experience the 12th annual Japanese Moon Viewing, Otsukimi, an afternoon and moonlit evening filled with immersive opportunities to experience Japanese culture. Enjoy tea ceremony demonstrations, mochi pounding, taiko drumming, art activities, and bilingual tours of the Blevins Japanese Garden. New this year, a musician will play the shakuhachi, a traditional Japanese flute, during the tea ceremonies on the main stage. Explore bonsai displays and a vendor marketplace featuring food, art, and handcrafted goods. This celebration is produced in partnership with the Consulate General of Japan and the Japan-America Society of Tennessee Supported by Experience the 12th annual Japanese Moon Viewing, Otsukimi, an afternoon and moonlit evening filled with immersive opportunities to experience Japanese culture. Enjoy tea ceremony demonstrations, mochi pounding, taiko drumming, art activities, and bilingual tours of the Blevins Japanese Garden. New this year, a musician will play the shakuhachi, a traditional Japanese flute, during the tea ceremonies on the main stage. Explore bonsai displays and a vendor marketplace featuring food, art, and handcrafted goods. This celebration is produced in partnership with the Consulate General of Japan and the Japan-America Society of Tennessee Sponsored by Supported by Schedule of Events Schedule of Events 5 PM: Tea Ceremony 5:30 PM: Nashville Taiko 6 PM: Welcome Ceremony + Kimono Fashion Show 7 PM: Tea Ceremony 7:30 PM: Shamisen Knoxville performance 8 PM: Tea Ceremony 8:30 PM: Closing Ceremony with reading of Rabbit in the Moon 4:30 PM: Bilingual Tour (Japanese and English) 5:30 PM: Bilingual Tour (Japanese and English) 6:30 PM: Bilingual Tour (Japanese and English) 4 PM: Mochi Pounding 4:30 PM: Kamishibai 5 PM: Mochi Pounding 5:30 PM: Kamishibai 4 – 8 PM: Ikebana Display 6:30 – 7:30 PM: Ikebana Demonstration Japanese Calligraphy Write Your Own Kanji Rabbit in the Moon Banner Japanese Luna Moth Nashville Bonsai Society Food and Vendors Food and Vendors Asian Culture Center of Tennessee Barnard-Seyfert Astronomical Society (Beginning at 6:30 in the Wills Perennial Garden) Consul General of Japan Japan-America Society of Tennessee I Go Tokyo Sister Cities Nashville Shamisen Knoxville BesTeas Bubble Shop Changkham Japanese Fusion Changnoi Thai Lao KOBO Coffee & Treats Louk Changnoi Boba Taste of Aloha Rice to Meet You Haiku Contest In honor of Cheekwood’s celebration of Moon Viewing, we’re hosting a haiku contest! A traditional Japanese haiku is a three-line poem with seventeen syllables, written in a 5/7/5 syllable count. Often focusing on images from nature, haiku emphasizes simplicity, intensity, and directness of expression. Entries must be received by 11:59 PM, September 13. Submit your Haiku Reserve Tickets Reserve Tickets