Rabbits live on the moon. I used to look up at the full moon and try my best to find a rabbit.

Rabbit (Free Image)

by the way,Why do rabbits live on the moon?

The pattern of craters on the surface of the moon is like a rabbit pounding rice cakes.It is said to beFull moon = Mochizuki.The theory is that the word "mochi" came to be used to refer to rice cakes.
Also, in the neighboring country of China, it seems that the moon hare has been passed down in folklore that it continues to produce elixirs of immortality.

The relationship between the moon and the rabbit seems to be covered.It looks like the moon pattern doesn't just look like a rabbit.It is.

The number of days between conception and birth of a rabbit and the lunar cycle (from one new moon to the next) are said to be almost the same. The fact that rabbits can reproduce all year round and give birth many times is also superimposed on the moon's rebirth.

Since ancient times, in JapanRabbits are lucky animals.Known as the The rabbit is always moving forward and is good at bouncingAdvance, Leap.The mother rabbit gives birth to many litters at a time, and is pleased as aSymbol of ProsperityIt was also because the Chinese character for rabbit, "兎", is similar to "免",escape evilThe moon is also said to be a symbol of luck. The moon is also said to be connected to luck,Rabbits, which are closely associated with the moon, are also lucky animalsIt is said to be.

The rabbit is a messenger of the god of war in Okazaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto City.Okazaki ShrineIt is one of the four Shinto shrines built in the four directions of Heian-kyo to protect the capital. It was one of the shrines built in the four directions of Heian-kyo for the protection of the royal castle at the time of the capital relocation to Heian-kyo.

Okazaki Shrine

Originally, this area was a habitat for wild rabbitsand rabbits have been regarded as the divine messengers of the clan deities because of their fertility.The Rabbit of the Zodiac represents the East in the direction of the zodiac.This also seems to have something to do with the fact that the rabbit is the divine messenger of this shrine.

Okazaki Shrine is commonly known as Usagi Shrine. The Okazaki Shrine is also known as the "Rabbit Shrine." At the shrine's precincts, visitors are greeted not by guardian dogs but by guardian rabbits.

Rabbit guardian dogs (Okazaki Shrine)

The rabbit in the handbasin is,A rabbit with the moon filling its body, pour water on the rabbit, rub its belly and make a wish that is likely to come true.That's right. It is fun to look for rabbits in places that you may have accidentally overlooked. The shrine is popular among worshippers not only for its blessings for safe childbirth, but also for good marriages and marital bliss.

Rabbit in a water fountain (Okazaki Shrine)

Money-making and matchmaking beckoning rabbit (Okazaki Shrine)

Rabbit pattern on the lanterns at Okazaki Shrine

Now, rabbits have a very adorable appearance. Although one would never guess it from its appearance, I have heard that it is said to be the strongest in the animal kingdom, and that its mating season lasts all year round. Because of their high fecundity and many childbearing seasons, in the East, they are appreciated as a source of prosperity for their offspring. In the West, however, it has become a symbol of sexual desire and is not viewed in a favorable light. In paintings, a rabbit is placed at the feet of the Virgin Mary to symbolize the victory of her pure blood over sexual desire.

By the way,Looking at the world, rabbits were not the only creatures that inhabited the moon.It is interesting to see the variety from men, women, clowns to animals such as crabs, frogs, and crocodiles, depending on the country.

The harvest moon of mid-autumn will soon be upon us. As the sun sets in Kyoto, the sounds of autumn insects become more lively, and the weather has become much cooler. Due to the damage caused by Typhoon No. 21, some moon-viewing events have been canceled. This year, as we look up at the famous moon in the night sky and think about the moon bunny, we would like to wish for recovery from the series of disasters that occurred this summer.

 

---

If you want to know more about the "Mid-Autumn Moon," here is a good place to start!

• Mysterious Incident on the Night of the Full Moon

• The spiritual power and mystery of “Mid-Autumn Harvest Moon”

---