Sep 18, 2026
Tsukimi themed hanachozu

On my walk yesterday I stopped into a local temple to check out their latest hanachozu. A hanachozu is a water font with flowers floating in it, as you can see in the photo above. At this temple though, they add more than just flowers to one of the hanachozu which is used to depict the current season in Japan.
This one features all the key symbols of Tsukimi, such as the stacked 'dango' rice balls, 'susuki' pampas grass, harvest motifs, rabbit figures and, of course, the moon. Tsukimi is the moon viewing after all. Among the flowers in the display is chrysanthemum which is representative of autumn. The orange mums in the center particularly evoke a sense of autumn.
Do your local shrines and / or temples have hanachozu? Do they do a special display for Tsukimi?
Irish, Mom of 4, currently also living beside the In-Laws. 25+ years back and forth between Ireland and Japan! I also write on my personal website: insaitama.com
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