There is no better place in Portland to share the romance and mystery of the full moon in autumn than from the eastern courtyard of the Portland Japanese Garden Pavilion, cup of sake in hand, gazing at the harvest moon as it rises above the city.

Moonviewing, or O-Tsukimi, is a traditional Japanese festival which honors the full moon in autumn. Guests enjoy a quiet evening in the Garden, observe a candle-lit tea ceremony in the Kashin Tei Tea House and listen to the elegant music of Mitsuki Dazai as she performs traditional autumn favorites as well as her own impressions of this magical time of year on a stringed instrument called the koto.

Poetry has also been part of traditional moonviewing events in Japan for centuries. Garden guests are invited to write their own poetry in honor of the autumn moon, and sake and tea will be served along with a light sampling of seasonal Japanese foods. Participants can experience a rare walk through the lantern-lit Garden during moonlit hours and watch the moon rise from the Garden’s spectacular east-facing overlook with a view of the city skyline below.

“Moonviewing is one of our most romantic events,” commented Diane Durston, the Garden’s Curator of Culture, Art, and Education. “Watching the moon rise, strolling the Garden in the moonlight, writing a few words of poetry and enjoying the company of friends—this custom goes back more than a thousand years in Japan and it is such an elegant way to spend an autumn evening.”

Moonviewing will be held on three different nights, October 2, 3, and 4 from 5:30-8pm. Tickets are $25 for Garden Members and $35 for Non-members and reservations are required by September 21. Sign up online at www.japanesegarden.com/events/moonviewing or call (503) 542-0280. Moonviewing is sponsored by the The James F. & Marion L. Miller Foundation and The Collins Foundation.