"Moon" by Nao

tsuki, getsu, gatsu

This year, we can see the mid-autumn full moon on October 3^rd. Among various kinds of moons, this full moon is called chushu no meigetsu. The chushu is mid-autumn. The no means “of” or indicates “belonging to”. The mei of meigetsu is good or distinguished.

Other moons are as follows:

• a full moon – mangetsu
• a crescent – mikazuki
• a new moon – shingetsu
• a half moon – hangetsu
• a moon in its first quarter (a waxing moon) – jōgen no tsuki
• a moon in its last quarter (a waning moon) – kagen no tsuki

This character also means a month.

To say the name of a month, put a number before the character. The suffix is read as gatsu. Let me list them up.

• January – ichi gatsu  (1 gatsu)
• February – ni gatsu (2 gatsu)
• March – san gatsu (3 gatsu)
• April – shi gatsu (4 gatsu)
• May – go gatsu (5 gatsu)
• June – roku gatsu (6 gatsu)
• July – shichi gatsu (7 gatsu)
• August – hachi gatsu (8 gatsu)
• September – ku gatsu (9 gatsu)
• October – jū gatsu (10 gatsu)
• November – jū ichi gatsu (11 gatsu)
• December – jū ni gatsu (12 gatsu)

Now, here is the drawing order of strokes.

1. Draw the sweeping stroke on the left. Don’t sweep until you finish half the stroke.
2. Draw the right-angled hook shape. The horizontal part is thinner than the vertical part. Turn upward at the end and make a thorn-like ending.
3. Draw the horizontal stroke in the middle.
4. Draw the lower horizontal stroke. All the horizontal strokes are parallel.