Tsukimi Moon Viewing Festival Double Film Feature

This two-day cultural celebration, with support from the Japanese Canadian Legacies Society, highlights the art, music, and stories behind Japan’s annual Tsukimi festival. Tsukimi, meaning “moon viewing”, is a traditional Japanese Buddhist festival that celebrates and honours the autumn moon. Family and friends come together to show appreciation for the year’s harvest, with seasonal fruits and vegetables presented as offerings to the moon, and to pray for a safe winter ahead and bountiful harvest. Rabbits are also associated with this festival because when looking at the shape of the moon, the Japanese see a rabbit pounding rice cakes.

On Sunday, October 5, enjoy a double feature at the Vernon Towne Theatre, showcasing Japanese cinema that reflects the season, culture, and beauty of Tsukimi. The first film, showing at 1pm, is Kaguya Hime Monogatari – The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013). This English dubbed anime includes voices by well-known actors, including Chloe Grace Moretz, Lucy Liu, and James Caan. It was nominated for 2015 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, as well as the winner of awards from LA, Toronto, and Boston Film Critics Associations. It is an enchanted anime movie the whole family will enjoy! The second film, The Moon Has Risen (1955) will begin at 3:30pm. This Japanese romantic comedy was directed by Kinuyo Tanaka, one of the first female directors in Japan. The Moon Has Risen was also selected by the Cannes Film Festival in 2021 under the category Cannes Classics.

For more information on times and prices for the Tsukimi Moon Viewing Festival, please visit Vernon Japanese Cultural Society Facebook page.

Get your tickets here: https://www.thetowne.ca/movie/the-tale-of-the-princess-kaguya-dubbed