We leave for Kyoto on September 12, which coincides with the autumn full moon. In Japan this is a time of a special harvest celebration known as Tsukimi. The autumn moon is especially appreciated for its beauty as it floats through the clouds. Children are encouraged to find the rabbit in the moon (a rabbit with a mortar busily pounding rice) and special foods are enjoyed including noodle soup with fine soba noodles, seaweed and a raw egg which poaches in the soup, giving the appearance of a moon surrounded by wisps of clouds. MacDonald's provides a special menu apparently (a hamburger with a poached egg I think).
So we are arriving at the time of the beautiful mid-autumn moon (chusho no meigetsu) and hope this will be auspicious! We will miss our friends and family greatly.