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 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
Schedule of Events
Main Stage | Arboretum Lawn
5 PM: Nashville Taiko and Shamisen Knoxville performances
5:30 PM: Nashville Taiko performance
6 PM: Welcome Ceremony and Haiku Contest winners
6:30 PM: Kimono Fashion Show
7 PM: Tea Ceremony
7:30 PM: Shakuhachi Performance
8 PM: Tea Ceremony
8:30 PM: Closing Ceremony featuring a reading of the Japanese folktale “The Bamboo Cutter”
Herb Garden
4:15 PM: Mochi Pounding
4:45 PM: Kamishibai
5:15 PM: Mochi Pounding
5:45 PM: Kamishibai
Blevins Japanese Garden Tour
4:30 PM, 5:30 PM, 6:30 PM | Meet at garden entrance
Throughout the festival, guests can explore Cheekwood’s Blevins Japanese
Garden through guided tours starting at the times listed above.
4 – 8 PM | Frist Learning Center Courtyard
- Japanese Calligraphy
- Write Your Own Kanji
- Create a Japanese Luna Moth
- Create a Rabbit in the Moon Banner
Ikebana Display and Demonstration
4 – 8 PM | Frist Learning Center Courtyard Classroom
- 6:30 – 7:30 PM: Live demonstration
Nashville Bonsai Society Display
4 – 8 PM | Frist Learning Center Great Hall
Food Vendors
4 – 9 PM | Lot B
