It’s Tsukimi Time! McDonald’s Japan, Others Reveal New Menus

It’s Tsukimi season again in Japan — which means it’s time for McDonald’s and others to roll out their limited-time Tsukimi menus.

By Jay Allen

Frequent travelers know that fast-food chains customize their menus to fit the locale. And now that it’s September, both international corporations like McDonald’s and local Japanese chains like Komeda Coffee are getting into the spirit of Tsukimi season. Here’s what major restaurants and cafes are unveiling to celebrate Japan’s holiday of the moon.

What is Tsukimi?

Tsukimi, or “moon-viewing”, marks the beginning of festivals honoring the autumn moon. It’s traditionally associated with the day jugoya (十五夜), when people would give thanks for a bountiful autumn harvest while appreciating the beauty of the moon. Tsukimi this year (2023) lands on September 29th — i.e., the date of the September full moon.

Jugoya is succeeded in August by jusanya (十三夜), which falls on the next full moon (in 2023, that’s October 27th). While jugoya is a holiday tradition imported from China, jusanya is a unique Japanese celebration for giving thanks at the end of the harvest. It was reportedly born of a legend that it was bad…