THANK YOU TO THIS YEAR’S PRESENTING SPONSOR
The Japanese Moon Viewing event began in 2015 after Cheekwood hosted a meeting with the Japan-America Society of Tennessee. Jane MacLeod, President and CEO of Cheekwood, has maintained a relationship with the Consul-General of Japan since 2015. Cheekwood has worked with Consul-General Kinefuchi over the last three years to make the Japanese Moon Viewing a success. This year Consul-General Kobayashi helped out with his first moon viewing after arriving this past May.
Earlier this month, Cheekwood hosted an intimate gathering to welcome Consul-General Kobayashi and his wife to Nashville. The Consul-General along with several prominent guests enjoyed lunch on the Loggia during the event. After the luncheon, guests had the opportunity to tour the newly named Blevins Japanese Garden, which will debut in 2020 following exciting renovations and enhancements made possible by the Blevins family.
Next year, Cheekwood looks forward to hosting the fifth annual Japanese Moon Viewing celebration, and continuing the tradition of this special event. Stay tuned for more information!Published: 9/25/2018
On September 23, Cheekwood hosted the fourth annual Japanese Moon Viewing event. This moonlit evening typically takes place in Shōmu-en, Cheekwood’s Japanese Garden, which has been named “one of the most original Japanese Gardens in North America” by Dr. Kendall H. Brown, author of Quiet Beauty, The Japanese Gardens of North America. However, due to rain, this year’s event was held in our Massey Auditorium, where guests gathered for tea ceremonies and activities.
This one-of-a-kind evening gave guests the opportunity to experience Japanese culture and traditions while celebrating o-tsukimi, the autumn moon viewing tradition. Despite the rain, guests celebrated the harvest moon with open-house style tea ceremony, and authentic kamishibai-style storytelling of Japanese folk tales about the moon, which included hand-drawn visuals along with narration. Children had the opportunity to participate in several activities including origami, calligraphy, haiku flags, yoyo fishing, and fan making. Guests even had the opportunity to sample some traditional Japanese treats served by Sonobana.