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萩と月/Bush Clovers And The Moon

Writer's picture: YuriYuri

秋になると夏とは打って変わって空気が澄み、月が大層美しく見えます。 古来より月の満ち欠けは人の一生になぞらえられることも多く、親しまれてきました。

Japan in autumn is drier than in humid summer and we can enjoy beautiful sky. People have considered that the moon in this season has been the most beautiful. They have seen men's fortune or lives in the moon's waning and waxing.


先日14日は中秋の名月、続いて十五夜、今日は十六夜(いざよい)です。あいにく京都では14日は深夜まで雲隠れしており、月見は難しかったですが、昨日、今日は鑑賞することができました。

Sep 14, 15, 16 were the days to enjoy the beautiful moon. Unfortunately on 14th in Kyoto, the moon was hidden by a cloud until midnight so it was quite hard to see it. But luckily enough, yesterday (15th) and today (16th) were perfect to appreciate it.

鴨川から望む満月/ Full moon from Kamo river
The full moon along Kamo River/鴨川から望む満月

月の楽しみ方は様々あります。月に見立てた団子を食べたり、盃に月を映してお酒を飲んだり、どれも風情があります。その中でも儚さの極致に至っていると感じるのは「萩(はぎ)と月」の取り合わせです。

Japanese people have enjoyed viewing the moon in various ways. For example, many sweetshops sell something looks like the moon, or you can enjoy sake with the reflection of the moon in your glass. Every way is very elegant but what I feel is the best is the combination of bush clovers and the moon.

襖絵に描かれた萩と月/ Byobu folding screen
Painting of the moon and bush clovers on sliding doors/襖絵に描かれた萩と月

盛夏が過ぎ秋が進むと、草花には露がおりるようになります。すると萩の枝の場合、露の重みでなよなよと地面に広がって伏すようになります。その露が月の光できらきら反射しているのを楽しんだり、露に映り込んだ月を古来楽しんだというのです。

After harsh summer, gradually the humidity and temperature drop and plants become wet with dew in the early morning and at night. The dewfall makes bush clovers bow deeply. Then people have enjoyed the moonlit dew and even tried to find the full moon in it.


10日と14日に「萩の寺」として知られる常林寺を訪れました。

I had a chance on 10th and 14th to visit Jyorinji Temple, which is very famous for bush clovers.

常林寺/ Jorinji Temple
Jyorinji Temple/常林寺

「萩」という字は、草かんむりに秋ですから、まさに秋の花にふさわしいものですが、なかなか鑑賞する機会はないかもしれません。是非訪問したら、昔の人が楽しんだ情景を想像してみてください。

Bush clovers in Chinese character consists of two parts -- plant and autumn. No wonder this flower is the queen of autumn flowers for the ancient Japanese. When you visit here, it's fun to imagine how people in the past enjoyed this combo.

萩/ Bush clover
Bush clovers/萩

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