Entertainment on the Moon Viewing Platform with an art installation suspended between the trees in the North end of the pond (Photo by SlickPix Photography)

On the night of the full moon on Friday, September 13th, the Seattle Japanese Garden was lit with over 350 paper lanterns, luminaries and candles. As the moon made its way up behind the tall trees that surround the garden, this year’s site-specific art installation titled V.L.[Indigo]A. (Very Large Indigo Array) glowed on the opposite end, casting a mysterious reflection on the pond.

Guests watching a butoh dancer interact with the art installation (Photo by SlickPix Photography)

The installation, consisting of an array of fabric planes hand-dyed with botanically derived indigo, was suspended high in the pines and backlit with high-powered lighting — evoking a celestial phenomenon. The artists behind this art installation are Scott Blakemore and Jeff McCord of Split Shot Collaborative, who worked with Kathy Hattori and her staff at Botanical Colors, a local company who specializes in sustainable practice on natural dye.

Michelle Schaefer and Michael Dylan Welch representing Haiku Northwest (Photo by SlickPix Photography)

On both evenings, many of you participated in the Haiku writing contest hosting by Haiku Northwest. A total of 176 entries were judged by Michelle Schaefer, Tanya McDonald and Michael Dylan Welch of Haiku Northwest. Congratulations winners, and thank you to everyone who participated and to Haiku Northwest.

2019 Moon Viewing Haiku Contest:

Friday, September 13, 2019

First Place

the harvest moon

inspires us to come out—

whether it does or not

Bill McGee

Second Place

paper lanterns glow

I’m walking with you tonight

hoping for moonlight

Tim Flowers

Third Place

mouths open—

orange and black koi

wait to swallow the moon

Meg Pearson

Honorable Mentions

(in alphabetical order by last name)

these fireflies dance

on a stage of cloudy skies

a hundred small moons

Victor Aque

wind ripples the moonlit water

I stroll in a dance

with my shadow

Barbara Blakistone

faces upturned to catch

the shining glow from the moon

disappointed by gray clouds

Stacey Giard

summer nights . . .

children playing

moon watching

Tarun Gopinath

full moon looms large and gray

above Seattle’s clouds

—I assume

Iain Heath

you on one continent

me on another

see the same moon

Zanny Milo

bright silver above—

the scent of water heavy

in the cooling air

Stephanie Morris

grey skies—

the promise of the moon

waiting to be uncovered

Paul Pietromonaco

we waited all week

to gaze upon the full moon

but alas the clouds

Laura Templeton

Saturday, September 14, 2019

First Place

the heron grooms—

he must look his best

for the harvest moon

Erica J. Thomas

Second Place

music coaxes

the moon

heron closes his eyes

Gwen Stamm

Third Place

another moon viewing

and only

cloud viewing

Joan Stamm

Honorable Mentions

(in alphabetical order by last name)

cedar and hemlock

whispering in the moon’s light

their silent secrets

David Blatner

treetops rustle gentle wind

beckoning moonbeams,

come out to play

Jeanne Boland

red moss seems fragile

friends whisper while walking near

we see our moon bright

Michelle Hanson

in autumn I mourn

the slow dimming of the light

oh moon, take over

Marilyn Layton

ripples skitter

beneath the heron’s wings

the moon hides her face

Brooke Leary

mid-autumn night—

the moonlight

flowing through my fingers

Ying Lou

why does the moon hide

behind the clouds

maybe because it’s shy

Lucy Pierson (age 7)

even the heron

awaits

the moon

Joan Stamm

tea bento and boats

watching the lonely moon sigh

making new friends

Aiswarya Vegaraju

spider eggs—

like tiny moons

clustered on the leaves

Brandon Wagner

Here are some of the highlights from Day 01 | Friday, September 13th.

Butoh dancers, Kaoru Okumura and Tomoko Hill accompanied by Asako Tateishi on fue leading guests into the garden (Photo by SlickPix Photography)

Traditional Okinawan music and dance by Mako & Munjuru on Moon Viewing Platform (Photo by SlickPix Photography)

Guests enjoying the garden under the (hidden) full moon (Photo by SlickPix Photography)

Tea ceremony presented by Omotesenke (Photo by SlickPix Photography)

Butoh dancers perform their final piece on Moon Viewing Platform (Photo by SlickPix Photography)

Candle-lit origami boats float near the lily pads (Photo by SlickPix Photography)

Paper lanterns placed along the paths illuminate the garden (Photo by SlickPix Photography)

Thank you all for joining us in this special fall celebration. We would also like to thank all the volunteers who worked so hard to make this happen.

Moon Viewing 2019 - A special Celebration of Tradition, Arts and Culture