Kongetsu Kon'ya no Tsuki no Hi -- 'Tonight's Moon' Day

What Is "Tonight's Moon" Day?

January 17th is known in Japan as "Kongetsu Kon'ya no Tsuki no Hi" (Tonight's Moon Day), named for the date in a famous scene from Ozaki Koyo's novel "Konjiki Yasha" (The Golden Demon), where the protagonist Kanichi Hazama speaks to the heroine Omiya on the beach at Atami.

The Famous Line Born From "Konjiki Yasha"

Kanichi tells Omiya: "Remember, Miya — the seventeenth of January. When this same night comes again next year, I will surely cloud the moon with my tears." The shorter, better-known version of the line comes from stage and film adaptations.

• About the novel: serialized intermittently in the Yomiuri Shimbun from January 1, 1897, the novel was left unfinished when Koyo died in 1903 at age 35
• Its popularity: despite being unfinished, it's considered one of the most beloved novels among ordinary people during the Meiji era
• Atami, the setting of "Kanichi and Omiya": in Atami, the town where the story is set, the "Statue of Kanichi and Omiya," erected in 1985, stands by the beach

The Term "Kanichi-gumori"

Inspired by this famous scene, a cloudy sky on the night of January 17th is sometimes called "Kanichi-gumori" ("Kanichi's clouds"). Atami holds the "Ozaki Koyo Festival" on this date every year, with events such as short skits recreating the famous scene. Along the shore, besides the statue, you can find a "Konjiki Yasha" monument erected in 1919 and the "Omiya no Matsu" (Omiya's Pine; the current tree is the second of that name).

Tips for Marking This Day

• Read "Konjiki Yasha" yourself, or look up a summary of its plot
• Visit the "Statue of Kanichi and Omiya" in Atami
• Look up at the night sky on January 17th and see whether the moon is visible
• Learn about related events held in Atami, like the Ozaki Koyo Festival

Why One Famous Scene Has Been Retold for Nearly 130 Years

Though the story was left unfinished, its famous scene and line have been passed down across generations, still alive today in the town of Atami. On the night of January 17th, if the moon happens to be visible, take a quiet moment to reflect on the bittersweet romance depicted in this story.