Mikazuki and Machitsuki

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  • CHEN, Chi
    Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University

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Other Title
  • 三日月と待月
  • ミカズキ ト タイゲツ

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Description

The crescent moon (Mikazuki) is regarded as the first moon in the night sky in a lunar month depending on the angle of reflection of the sunlight. It's hard to link the crescent moon to Machitsuki(literally translated as waiting for moon) in Japanese Literature, but it exists in Chinese Literature. All the phase of the moon can be called as waiting moon in Chinese Literature. "Waiting for the crescent moon" couldn't be found in Japanese Literature during the Heian Period, despite it was accepted temporarily in Chinese prose and poetry which was written by the aristocrat of the Heian Period. However, it didn't spread widely in Japan. The reason is considered that the poet in the Heian Period thought "Only the moon after full moon can be called as waiting moon" inflexibly. However, "Waiting for the crescent moon in early autumn" was used to represent the view of sorrow on autumn which could be found in the Kamakura period. Later on, "Waiting for the crescent moon" was used in Waka (poem) of spring. On the other hand, although the two expressions of "Waiting for the crescent moon" have the close meaning to the expressions of Chinese prose and poetry, the two expressions were used in Japanese style and represent the aesthetic and unique sense of Japanese. Therefore, they were not accepted from Chinese prose and poetry.

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