The Moon

Hello, and welcome to Japanology Plus.
I'm Peter Barakan.

Today, our theme is the moon.

I'm in a soba restaurant.

You're probably wondering what,
if anything,

these two facts have to do
with each other.

You're about to find out.

This dish is called tsukimi soba.

Literally, it means, “moon view noodles.”

There's a raw egg on top of the noodles
which symbolizes the moon.

And the white of the egg—

there's only a little wispy bit of it
I'm afraid—

is supposed to be the clouds.

And to amplify
that we have a bit of fishcake here.

There's also some green showing the plants
on the ground.

I know in English we say, “sunny side up,”
so it gets a little bit confusing here,

but you can kind of see it
as “moon side up,” if you like.

Now, moon-related food is not restricted
just to traditional Japanese fare.

For example, every autumn—

and this only happens in Japan,
by the way—

there's a “moon view burger,”

which has a fried egg on top of the patty.

And that can be consumed
under the golden arches.

The moon makes an appearance in a lot of
different facets of Japanese daily life,

and we'll find out
how as we proceed with today's show.

Day by day, the moon waxes and wanes,

marking the passage of time.

Throughout history,

its changing appearance has been
the subject of interest and wonder.

Japan's traditional calendar
counted the days

starting with each new moon.

The 15th day of the 8th month
brought a full moon in autumn:

a “harvest moon.”

This full moon in particular is treasured,

and at events all over the country,
people gather to enjoy viewing it.

A long history of moon-viewing

is reflected in certain traditional names
assigned to the moon.

Two autumn moons have special names.

The harvest moon—
on the 15th day of the 8th month—

is known as the “taro moon.”

And the almost full moon
on the 13th day of the 9th month

is the “bean” or “chestnut” moon.

This moon, too,
is thought to be very beautiful.

But why those names?

In fact, before rice was grown in Japan,

taro, beans and chestnuts
were staples.

People would have been thinking
about those crops

when they felt grateful
for a good harvest.

The practice of holding
an actual moon-viewing party

at the time of the harvest moon

came to Japan from China
in the 9th century.

At these events,

members of the nobility
would enjoy music and drinking.

They did not prepare any special items;

they simply enjoyed looking at the moon.

Most Japanese back then
lived off the land,

and a deep familiarity
with the moon's monthly cycle

would have informed practical decisions.

Beliefs from those times are still shared
by some to this day.

One example:

a tree that is cut down at the
time of the full moon will rot quickly.

Some scientists do in fact believe that
gravity influences the moisture in a tree.

The moon's pull seems to
make the moisture move,

which could indeed influence
the wood's condition.

Very moist timber tends to rot.

Less moisture at the time of a new moon
would in principle be a good thing.

Leafy greens, meanwhile, were harvested
at the time of the full moon,

when the leaves were thought to
be especially moist.

But root vegetables were harvested
at the time of the new moon,

when moisture was considered to
be down in the roots.

The phases of the moon are important
for fishing, too.

Spring tides coincide
with new and full moons.

And, it is said,
more fish are caught at those times.

The moon has long been closely intertwined
with everyday life in Japan.

Indeed, the traditional calendar
was used right up until 1872.

Our guest this time, Miura Yasuko,

has a deep knowledge of the significance
of Japanese customs such as moon viewing.

She conducts lectures,
appears on TV and radio,

and works to preserve elements
of a traditional Japanese lifestyle.

So are these all the accoutrements

that we're going to need
for our moon-viewing today?

Yes.

So perhaps you can explain
the significance of each of these things.

First, we have pampas grass.

The spirit of the moon is said to dwell
in this grass.

The grass serves as a medium to draw
in that spirit.

Next, we have these.

At a moon-viewing
it's very common to have dumplings.

To celebrate the 15th day—
the day of the full moon—

there will usually be 15 of them.

The dumplings are roughly spherical.

And that shape reflects the appearance
of the full moon.

There's a sense of perfection.
A culmination.

This roundness can be associated
with gratitude for fruition,

for a successful harvest.

It can have an association with success,
health, and happiness.

All of those things.

Next, we have seasonal produce.
Fruit and vegetables.

These grapes are particularly interesting.

Grapes are all connected along a vine.

That represents the desire for a strong,
positive connection with the moon.

Ah, OK, OK.

I'm starting to understand this,
bit by bit, now.

Alright.

So people did have an awareness that
the moon had an influence on their lives?

They did.

Moon-viewing events weren't only held
on the 15th day of the 8th month.

There was another event, for example,
on the 10th day of the 10th month,

when people gave thanks to the spirit
of the rice fields.

OK. But interestingly,

it doesn't necessarily have to be
at the time of the full moon?

In truth,

Japanese people tend to be less attracted
to something complete or perfect,

and more attracted
to something incomplete or imperfect.

It's like the whole wabi sabi thing.

Indeed. In Japan something absent
or missing can itself be valued.

It has aesthetic appeal.

A blank space can be filled
by your imagination and your feelings.

A good example is ink paintings.

They feature a lot of blank space.

But the viewer
can still picture the landscape.

That's part of the appeal.

Also, there's a type of pottery
called Oribe ware

that's used in the tea ceremony.

The cups aren't perfectly round.
The shape is irregular.

That's right, yeah.

They're deliberately given
an imperfect shape.

In fact, it's an aesthetic choice.

Ah, I see.
So... of course it's done on purpose,

but that was the reason for it.

OK, that's interesting.

So in addition to the full moon itself,

people also enjoy the moon
before or after that.

They look at the half moon,
and the new moon too.

People enjoy viewing the moon
in all of its different phases.

I've been living in Japan for a long time,
and I didn't know any of this until today.

I wonder if people in Japan these days

are aware of the meaning
behind these customs?

In fact,

these days most people do not know
very much about it.

That's because, in the past,

a lot of people were involved
in agriculture.

They felt it was very important
to give thanks for a good harvest.

Of course, yeah.

Things are very different now.

The moon is simply something nice
to look at.

That's the predominant view these days.

Very few households
gather together objects like this,

and conduct a traditional moon-viewing.

But even if people don't do a full event,

they might serve potatoes for dinner,

or prepare dumplings for dessert.

And before eating,

they might go to the window,
look at the moon

and offer thanks for the moon's help
in making the harvest possible.

They express reverence.

And I think that is very important.

In Kyoto, there's a structure

intended to offer the most luxurious
possible moon-viewing experience.

It's Ginkakuji, a National Treasure
and World Heritage Site

built as a retreat by the 15th century
shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa.

Every year,
on the evening of the harvest moon,

a moon-viewing party is held here
in his memory.

We know that Ginkakuji was built
with moon-viewing in mind

thanks to a study conducted
on Kyoto's many temples.

That research was carried out
by Omori Masao.

He noted the orientation of Ginkakuji.

On this side, the building is facing east.

In this direction is a small peak
called Mount Tsukimachi—

literally “awaiting the moon”.

Omori calculated what people
would have seen when gathered

in the temple in the 15th century.

He used special software

to recreate the position
of the moon and stars.

Then he combined that information
with topographical data,

allowing him to work out exactly
where the harvest moon would have risen

in the autumn of 1489.

At around 6 PM,

the moon would have appeared
from behind the mountain.

But 20 minutes later,

it would disappear again,
hidden by the building's eaves.

So let's go upstairs.

Here, there's a sliding paper screen.

If you opened the screen and looked out,

you would have seen the moon reflected
on the surface of the pond.

At 6:20, the moon's reflection appears
at the edge of the water.

20 minutes later, it reaches the center,

where it lines up perfectly with a round,
moon-shaped rock.

Then it continues on its journey
until it eventually moves out of view.

At that point,

the moon-viewing group
would have moved outside

in order to look at Ginkakuji
from the other side of the pond.

From there,

they would have been able to
enjoy a spectacular view of the moon

until just after 3 AM.

Ginkakuji was built with the moon in mind.

It's amazing.

The garden and this pavilion

were designed to offer the perfect
moon-viewing experience.

In the West,

there's an element of negative feeling
towards the moon as well, I think.

Especially at the full moon...
things like werewolves.

And the word “lunatic” comes
from the moon as well.

So there's that element of madness.
Things like that.

Is there anything similar in Japan?

Well actually, in general,

I'd say that Japanese tend to
prefer the moon to the sun.

Really?

Yes!

Its waxing and waning
form is just so appealing.

Before electricity, once the sun had set,

it was pitch black, and difficult to see.

And so I think that the moonlight—

particularly from a full moon—

was something people
felt incredibly grateful for.

In Japan, at least,
the moon was associated with light,

and people eagerly awaited its arrival.

The moon was used to create a calendar.

Its appearance may also have been used to
judge aspects of the weather.

People had such a close relationship
with the moon,

throughout their daily lives.

And there's something else.

In Japan,

the moon can be associated
with a sense of gratitude.

This is connected to the fact that the
moon doesn't radiate light of its own.

It reflects the light of the sun.

That's the only reason
we're able to see the moon.

It is thanks to the support of
another entity

that the moon is able to shine brightly.

Moon-viewing is thus a great opportunity

to reflect on the important role
that other people play in our own lives,

and to nurture a more sensitive awareness
of that fact.

I think people have always realized that

the moon influences things like the tides,
for example.

And crops as well.

On the other hand, in other countries

perhaps you don't see people
reacting towards the moon

as strongly as the Japanese.

I think that's because

Japanese associate the repeating phases
of the moon with the circle of life.

We connect it to our own existence,

to life and death, and to rebirth.

All of those meanings overlap.

In terms of art, too,
the moon is a very common motif.

I'd say that shows just how comforting
the moon is for people in Japan.

But actually,
I have a question about the moon for you.

Does the moon feature
in the world of music?

How do Western songs reference it?

There are lots of songs
which have “moon” in the title,

or in the words,
in the lyrics of the songs.

There's...just to think of a few,

there's a song called “Half Moon,”

there's “Shine On, Harvest Moon,”

there's “It's Only A Paper Moon.”

I can think of tons more I'm sure.

But those just off the top of my head.

The moon is one of those things
that just fires people's imagination,

I think.

At the same time,

there's also an expression

which is used sometimes to describe
not very original lyrics in songs.

They call it “the moon in June,”

because it's a very pedestrian way
of rhyming.

So in a sense that might be
a little bit negative.

But not towards the moon itself,

just towards the creativity of the people
who don't think of any better rhymes.

In Japan,

people see the moon
as something mysterious.

It's quite romantic.

We feel tender and caring towards it,

and that's shown by the nicknames
we have for different phases.

For example, after a full moon,

the moon rises later each day
in increments of around 50 minutes.

So on the 16th day of a lunar month,

just one day after a full moon,

we say the moon is shy.

That's a “shy moon.”

The day after,
it appears another 50 minutes later.

Everyone's waiting,

so we call that the “stand-and-wait moon.”

That's very poetic.

And the day after that,

we get tired of standing
and so we sit down.

That's the “sit-and-wait moon.”

Expressions like that

show just how much we look forward
to seeing the moon each night.

Its appearance is eagerly awaited.

Right, you really get the feeling
how people are waiting for it every day.

That's fascinating.

Recently, the NASA-led “Artemis” program

has generated global interest
in the idea of returning to the moon.

Unlike the Apollo program,

which involved only short trips
to the moon,

the idea now is collaboration
with private enterprises to establish

a long-term presence on the moon.

The space industry is already
worth hundreds of billions of US dollars.

Many Japanese companies
are exploring new ways

to apply their expertise
in this fast-growing sector.

For example,

here's a moon rover being developed
by a major car manufacturer.

It's designed to allow two astronauts

to explore the moon's surface
for around 30 days.

It's roughly double the size of a minibus.

On the moon, daytime and nighttime
each last for 14 earth days.

During the day,

the temperature is
around 110 degrees Celsius.

At night, it drops to around minus 170.

Solar panels would generate power
during the daytime.

And fuel cells would be used at night.

The vehicle harnesses Japan's car-
making expertise

and should be ready later this decade.

And here's a concept being developed
by a construction company:

a space elevator.

A satellite 36,000 kilometers
above the equator

would travel in sync
with the Earth's rotation.

It would be connected to the ground
by a giant cable.

And a train running along that cable

could easily transport people
and goods to space.

In a research station at 8,900 kilometers,

the pull of gravity would be similar to
how it feels on the surface of the moon.

Space elevators are attracting attention
as a method of transport

that is more cost-efficient
and environmentally friendly than rockets.

Another construction company,

imagining a future
when space travel is commonplace,

proposes a space hotel,with 104 guest
rooms on a ringed structure.

The 140-meter-diameter ring would rotate,

generating a gravity pull similar to
that on earth.

There would be a public area

featuring a lobby, restaurants,
entertainment facilities, and so on.

The hotel would offer dining and sporting
experiences possible only in space.

Perhaps, in the not-too-distant future,

travelling to the moon will be
a relatively normal activity.

Hi, I'm Matt Alt, and this is Plus One.

On today's episode,

we've come to one of my favorite places
in Japan:

a toy company that's investing
in the moon business.

Now what on earth—or is that space?—
could they be up to.

Follow me, and let's find out.

Look at all these toys.

Hello there!

It's nice to meet you.

Hello. Welcome.

So this is a toy company, right?

What does your work have to do
with the moon?

Well, let me show you.

This way.

Is this a sandbox?

No, actually this recreates
the surface of the moon.

We have developed
a miniature transforming robot

to travel across this landscape.

This is amazing.

It looks like, I dunno,
a baseball from outer space.

Three, two, one!

It transforms in an instant,
and begins moving across the sand.

It's almost like it's alive.

Yes, it can crawl like
a small living creature,

across the sand
on the surface of the moon.

It doesn't get stuck.

What sorts of things are you hoping
to discover with this little robot?

You see these square bits
at the front and back?

They're cameras.

Once the Japan Aerospace Exploration
Agency puts our robot on the moon,

it will take pictures,
and send them back to Earth.

The pull of gravity on the moon
is one sixth that of Earth.

Another objective is for the robot
to gather and send data

as it moves around in those conditions.

The robot weighs just 250 grams.

To make it lightweight yet durable,

it was built using an aluminium alloy.

I love everything about this.

Tell me,
how did your company's toy technology

come in handy for developing this?

As we saw, the robot transforms.

We applied the same techniques

that we use to make
our well-known transforming toys.

And to make it move like an animal,

we applied ideas from a line of toy robots
that are inspired by animals.

When I was a child,

I used to play
with your company's wind-up toys a lot,

and so seeing this landing on the moon...
I don't know, it's strangely nostalgic.

For people of all ages,
the moon seems very far away.

But if something very similar to the toys
you're familiar with makes the trip,

I think the concept of space travel
will become easier to imagine.

A famous American designer once said,

Toys and games are the prelude to
serious ideas.

I think we're seeing that happening
right here with this little robot.

I can't wait to see it land on the moon.

See you next time!

Now we're heading to
the top of a skyscraper in Tokyo

for a new take on moon-viewing.

Stargazing events held here
are very popular.

We're right on top of one of the tallest
buildings in Shibuya.

And I've actually been up here
once before;

we were doing a show on a different topic.

It was Tokyo seen from rooftops.

It was pouring with rain that day;
we couldn't come up here.

And it was actually pouring
with rain until about five minutes ago.

Luckily it stopped.

And as we were walking over here,
I saw the moon.

It was a crescent moon, right over there.

Unfortunately it's gone back
behind a cloud again.

Yes, sometimes your view is blocked.

And at those times,

especially at a moon-viewing event,
you might be disappointed.

But you still know
that the moon is shining away,

behind the clouds.

You can't see it with your own eyes,

but that isn't the most important thing.

The moon is still there,
right where it should be.

So you come to a moon-viewing spot,

and you can enjoy spending some time
just looking out in that direction.

And if you don't see it today,

it's going to be there tomorrow as well.

Absolutely.

You can look forward to seeing it.

We have a word, “ugetsu,”
which means “rainy-day moon.”

There's another word, “mugetsu,”

meaning “no view of the moon.”

Both words convey sadness at
not being able to see the moon,

but they express a fondness, too.

Thank you very much.

Thank you very much.

Oh!

It's showing its face to us again.

Isn't that nice?

Thank you, Mr. Moon!