COOL JAPAN from New Yorkers’ Viewpoints

(27) 　[English Edition］ 週刊NY生活　SHUKANNEWYORKSEIKATSU 2017年（平成29年）8月19日（土）

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THE JAPAN VOICEOtsukimi

(moon-viewing),sometimes alsocalled Jugoya,are the Japaneseharvest festivalsthat celebrate thefull Autumnmoon. Datingback to the early Heian period (794A.D. - 1184 A.D.), these festivals areusually celebrated on Jugoya, the 15thnight of August of the solar calendar.The first known full moon celebra-tions were conducted by court noblesfrom across Japan who would gatherin a tea house or purpose-built moon-viewing pavilion and compose lyricalpoems while admiring the first ofautumn’s moons. Ordinary peoplewould set up altars in a room wherethe moon would be visible and cele-brate with their families.

In 2017 an unusually lateOctober 4-7 is when Otsukimi will becelebrated. The lower humidity andcrisp autumn weather is believed to bethe perfect conditions for a clear viewof the moon this year.

For Otsukimi, friends and fami-ly gather to have a moon-viewingparty and eat special foods. Accordingto Japanese tradition, the full moondepicts a rabbit making mochi with ahammer and so, eating rice cakes areespecially popular this time of theyear. The white dango also look iden-tical to the moon. Chestnuts are intheir peak season in autumn and wereused in the past to make offerings tothe moon in hopes of an abundant har-vest. In some parts of Japan, Otsukimiis known as the “chestnut harvestmoon.”

On Monday, August 21, all ofNorth America will be treated to atotal solar eclipse. The moon willcompletely cover the sun and the sun'satmosphere, the corona, can be seen.Japanese in North America are espe-cially excited about this year'sOtsukimi because of this rare and sureto be spectacular eclipse. New YorkCity will be exposed to a partialeclipse, but there will be many view-ing parties. Why not celebrate theupcoming eclipse and Otsukimitogether with loved ones this year?(Masuo Ichida is an illustrator forSeiko Oshima’s column, “NY SAIJI-KI.”)

THE NEW YORKERS

VOICES From

OTSUKIMIby Masuo Ichida

On August 5, 2017, about 120 peopleattended the 24th Peace Assembly held at St.Bartholomew’s Church in Manhattan to remem-ber the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombvictims. At the time when the atomic bomb wasdropped on Hiroshima, one representative afteranother tolled a bell while attendants prayed insilence. After the memorial service, they marchedto Rockefeller Center on Fifth Avenue as theyprayed for peace.

On the evening of August 8, about 60people assembled for a peace event, “Day ofNagasaki,” which was held at the Tenri CulturalInstitute in Chelsea where Atomic Bomb Panels,Peace Arts and photographs were exhibited. ThePeace Memorial Service conducted in NagasakiCity was broadcasted live with simultaneousinterpretation. At another location, recitations andmusic were presented and sponsored by the N.Y.Peace Movie Festival while an uncut ceremonywas broadcasted from Nagasaki City.(Written by Kaoru Komi/Photographed byRyoichi Miura/Translated by Kunio Shimura)

Service attendants marching for peace on Fifth Avenue at Rockefeller Center(from left: The Rev. Dr. T. Kenjitsu Nakagaki, Buddist priest, president of theBuddhist Council of New York, Hiroshima Peace Ambassador and NagasakiPeace Correspondent; Ven. Refa Shi, abbot and founder of BuddhistPeaceful Enlightenment; Avaduta H.H. Jagat Guru Dileepji Maharaj, founderand president of World Yoga Community and the International GurukulaCommunity).

The atomic bombing victims ofHiroshima and Nagasaki were com-memorated at the 24th AnnualInterfaith Peace Ceremony at St.Bartholomew’s Church in MidtownManhattan on August 5, organized byBuddhist priest, Reverend T. KenjitsuNakagaki. After interfaith prayers rep-resenting different religions and thereading of messages from the mayorsof Hiroshima, Nagasaki and NewYork, A-bomb survivor TomikoMorimoto West spoke of the grief oflosing family and friends in the blinkof an eye. Julien Ishigahara (11), asixth grader at New York IkueiAcademy, shared a story of learningabout the atomic bombing when hevisited an elementary school in hismother’s native Hiroshima last sum-mer.

The event also featured TenriGagaku Shintoism music; violinistSumiko Tajihi and pianist Kumi Abe;Japanese taiko drum player KaoruWatanabe; jazz pianist ToshikoAkiyoshi and flutist Lew Tabackin;Japan Choral Harmony “TOMO”; andthe Brooklyn InterdenominationalChoir.

Before her performance, Ms.Akiyoshi explained that she had writtenher piece, “Hiroshima: Rising from theAbyss,” at The Rev. Dr. T. KenjitsuNakagaki’s request, with inspirationfrom the facial expression of a girl inone of the pictures taken after theHiroshima bombing, a tragedy that shedid not know of when she migrated tothe United States from her nativeManchuria soon after the war ended. At7:15 p.m., or August 6 at 8:15 a.m.Japanese Standard Time, the exactmoment of the Hiroshima bombing, abell was rung in prayer for peace.(Kaoru Komi/Translated by KenjiNakano)

nuclear group Granny Peace Brigade,gave a speech stating, “We’re not here forthe incident of 72 years ago. We’re hereto prevent repeating the same thing in thefuture.” Other representatives from eachgroup also gave short speeches and madean appeal to people on the roadside tobuild a peaceful world without nuclearweapons by singing anti-nuclear songs.

Inside the consulate, four repre-sentatives met with Takeshi Yamamoto,one of the consuls, and handed him anopen letter titled, “An Open Letter to thePeople of Japan From Concerned PeaceOrganizations and Citizens of the UnitedStates.” The letter starts by stating, “Weexpress our sincere regrets and apologies,although our government has never apolo-

gized,” and continues by making anappeal to Japan to play a leadership rolein supporting and promoting the Treaty ofthe Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons thatwas adopted by the United Nations onJuly 7, 2017, then shows deep worryabout extending the US-Japan NuclearEnergy Cooperation Agreement and pro-poses alternative ideas to the UnitedStates and Japan, and lastly pleads toJapan to protect Article 9 of the JapaneseConstitution and to quit relying on theUnited States’ “nuclear umbrella.” Thefour representatives were Thomas Fasyfrom Veterans for Peace, New YorkChapter #34; RSCJ Sister GwendolynHoeffel, who has lived in Japan for about50 years; Yasuyo Tanaka, an artist and apeace activist living in New York; andYasutsugu Ogura, an associate professorat Rikkyo University. Yasutsugu Ogura,who lost his great-grandfather and unclein the atomic bombing, is a sociologiststudying the preservation of the atomicbomb experience; he showed a picture ofa hibakusha (atomic bomb victim) by ahigh school student from MotomachiHigh School in Hiroshima, drawn fromtestimony. He received a bouquet of flow-ers from Mr. Fasy to convey their feelingsto the hibakusha. “I am very happy toknow that this many American citizensare willing to show up, write an open let-ter and offer a bouquet of flowers for thememorial,” he said. (Kaoru Komi/Translated by Yosuke Kobayashi)

A memorial ceremony commemo-rating the 72nd anniversary of the drop-ping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima andNagasaki was held at noon on August 4in front of the Consulate General ofJapan in New York. About 60 people,including representatives of citizengroups in the United States, joined theceremony.

This is the third time the annual cer-emony has been held, organized byabout 20 groups that seek the abolitionof nuclear weapons from a humanitarianstandpoint. After a moment of silencewas conducted by The Rev. Dr. T.Kenjitsu Nakagaki, 92-year-old VinieBorrows, the oldest member of the anti-

Never Repeat the Mistake A Peace March in New York City

72 Years Later

Hiroshima andNagasaki

Remembered inInterfaith Commemoration

Retired Soldiers Take Partin Memorial Ceremony

in Front of the Consulate Generalof Japan in New York

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