Otsukimi Dorobo (お月見泥棒)
Otsukimi Dorobo is one of the children's moon viewing events held in various regions.
Only on this day, they can steal decorated offerings for the moon viewing festival on the night of a harvest moon (jugoya [night of the full moon]).
Children attached nails or wires on a top of a long rod like a pole and stole dango (sweet rice dumpling). As children were said to be envoys from the moon, only on this day, they were allowed to steal them. Offerers devised the places to make offerings on such as a veranda (a narrow wooden passageway along the edge of a house facing the garden) from where children could steal them easily.
Today, there is still a custom that children visit each home shouting 'Give me a moon viewing' or 'We are moon viewing thieves' and receive some sweets.