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Nagatsuki: Chrysanthemum Festival, Viewing the Waxing Moon, and Other Traditional Events in September

  • Chrysanthemum Viewing, from Yōshū Chikanobu’s series Chiyoda Inner Palace, depicts courtesans from the shōgun’s “inner chambers” enjoying an afternoon of flower viewing inside the confines of Edo Castle. (Courtesy National Diet Library)

    Chrysanthemum Viewing, from Yōshū Chikanobu’s series Chiyoda Inner Palace, depicts courtesans from the shōgun’s “inner chambers” enjoying an afternoon of flower viewing inside the confines of Edo Castle. (Courtesy National Diet Library)

  • People enjoy a flower exhibit in a print from Collection of Cultivated Chrysanthemum Displays, published in 1715. (Courtesy National Institute of Japanese Literature)

    People enjoy a flower exhibit in a print from Collection of Cultivated Chrysanthemum Displays, published in 1715. (Courtesy National Institute of Japanese Literature)

  • Enthusiasts flock to see the tree-like display of chrysanthemums by famed gardener Imaemon, as depicted in the print Chrysanthemum Viewing: 100 Varieties Grafted on a Single Plant by Utagawa Kuniyoshi. (Courtesy National Diet Library)

    Enthusiasts flock to see the tree-like display of chrysanthemums by famed gardener Imaemon, as depicted in the print Chrysanthemum Viewing: 100 Varieties Grafted on a Single Plant by Utagawa Kuniyoshi. (Courtesy National Diet Library)

  • Jūsanya no tsuki: the moon appears almost full on the thirteenth night of the lunar calendar. (© Pixta)

    Jūsanya no tsuki: the moon appears almost full on the thirteenth night of the lunar calendar. (© Pixta)

  • Edofunai ehon fūzoku ōrai (Picture Book of Edo Customs and Manners) by Utagawa Hiroshige IV depicts celebrants outside Shiba Daijingū, which was closely associated with the Ise Shrine. (Courtesy National Diet Library)

    Edofunai ehon fūzoku ōrai (Picture Book of Edo Customs and Manners) by Utagawa Hiroshige IV depicts celebrants outside Shiba Daijingū, which was closely associated with the Ise Shrine. (Courtesy National Diet Library)

  • A mythical kankodori (drum-bird) rides atop the first of the parade’s 36 floats, as depicted in a print by Utagawa Kunisato. (Courtesy Tokyo Metropolitan Central Library Special Collection Room)

    A mythical kankodori (drum-bird) rides atop the first of the parade’s 36 floats, as depicted in a print by Utagawa Kunisato. (Courtesy Tokyo Metropolitan Central Library Special Collection Room)

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