Seattle Shakuhachi Study Group

Moon Viewing at the Portland Japanese Garden

– a short report from Patrick

The Japanese Garden in Portland held their annual moon viewing event on September 10th and 11th and I was invited back this year to perform solo shakuhachi.

For this beautiful and tranquil O’Tsukimi tickets always sell out months in advance and this year there were about 200 attendees on each of the two nights. Though the skies were overcast both days, on the first night we were treated to a view of the full moon over downtown Portland, tinted red by smoke from the local wildfires that had erupted over the days leading up to the viewing. 

The sight of the colored moon was troubling but also beautiful in its own right. And the gentle but imploring quality of the shakuhachi Honkyoku pieces seemed to fit the tone and feel of the event nicely.

Several patrons made comments to that effect afterward and expressed their thanks for the soothing texture that the music added.

The Japanese Garden in Portland is really a PNW treasure and the SSSG is honored to have the affiliation with the garden that we do. For more information about the garden, go to:

https://japanesegarden.org/about-portland-japanese-garden/

Watch a clip from the moon viewing