In our cultural area, the hare brings the colorfully painted Easter eggs at Easter. He is an iconic creature and many of his images are world famous. Just think of Bugs Bunny or the Dürer hare. The bunny represents fertility and new life not only in European culture, but also in Asian culture. In Japan I got to know the moon from a completely new side. Here one does not speak of the man in the moon. Because from Asia one sees the outlines of a hare in the autumn full moon. This one is not just sitting around stupidly, but is japanese industrious. More precisely, two rabbits can be seen kneading mochi, a sweet rice dough. From exactly this Mochi there are moon balls with bunny decoration to the Moon-Viewing-Festival. Cute – right?
Omogashi is the umbrella term for sweets. Wagashi are traditional sweets. Among these are the moon viewing tsukimi, which I was allowed to prepare myself in a workshop in mid-September, shortly before the festivities for the autumn moon viewing festival. Tsukimi, by the way, means moon viewing.
