Giant Mooncake Marks Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival in Yokohama; Handmade Cake Measures 1 Meter Across, Weighs 60 Kilograms

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:55 JST, August 25, 2024

A giant mooncake measuring about one meter across and weighing around 60 kilograms is on display at the Rose Hotel Yokohama in Yokohama, in celebration of the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival.

One of the three major traditional festivals in China, the Mid-Autumn Festival is a time when families gather to enjoy each other’s company. Eating mooncakes under the full moon is said to bring happiness.

The festival coincides with Japan’s Fifteenth Night, or Jugoya.

The mooncake display at the Yokohama hotel began in 1994, making this year the 31st occasion. The mooncake was handmade by artisans of the long-established Chungking Chinese Szechwan Restaurant in Yokohama’s Chinatown.

“There’s a custom of exchanging mooncakes or sharing them with family during the Mid-Autumn Festival in China. Why not enjoy them together with your loved ones, rather than just getting an ordinary Chinatown souvenir?” a representative from the hotel said.

The display runs through Sept 17.