Moon

Festivals dedicated to the moon have a long history in Japan. Tsukimi (月見) or Otsukimi (お月見), literally meaning "moon-viewing", are Japanese festivals which honor the autumn moon. Throughout the Edo period, the moon was a celebrated subject in woodblock print art. Scenes of night life in places such as Edo (modern-day Tokyo) and Kyoto were very popular, and prints frequently depicted a huge moon floating over temples, houses, and landmarks. To this day, the moon is considered one of Japan's most famous symbols in artwork, and paintings featuring a moon obscured by willow branches or clouds can be found all over the world. Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839–1892) is widely considered one of the last great woodblock print masters of the tradition. His series One Hundred Aspects of the Moon is regarded as his greatest artistic achievement.

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Mount Otowa Moon

by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi

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     This design is taken from a Noh-play called Tamura. According to the Lavenberg Print Collection, three itinerant monks visit the Kiyomizu Temple on a moonlit night in Spring. A youth appears and begins to sweep away fallen cherry blossoms with a broom. The monks ask him about the history of the temple, he answers, and then briefly disappears. A local commoner comes on the stage and tells them that the youth must have been the ghost of Sakanoe no Tamuramaro, who was a famous general of the later Nara period (710-794).

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The Moon's Invention -- Hozo Temple

by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi

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     The head priest of the Hozoin Temple, Kakuzenbo Hoin In-ei (1521-1607), grasps a spear whilst looking at the reflection of a cresent moon in the water. The artist is "suggesting that this priest was inspired to invent the formidable crescent spear by the sight of the moon bisecting his reflected staff" (Lavenberg Collection of Japanese Prints).

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Shinobugaoka Moon, Gyokuensai

by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi

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     This print shows a young samurai warrior, Gyokuensai, startled by the wind blowing blossom petals and a robe or kimono hanging on a rope tied to a tree.

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Gojo Bridge Moon

by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi

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     The young Minamoto no Yoshitsune (源義経) leaping above the Gojo Bridge, throwing down his fan. This print features bright colors and a subject with a white veil.

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Bon Festival Moon

by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi

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     Three women and two men dance under the moon to celebrate the Bon (盆) festival, a summertime festival still celebrated today. During this festival season, the ancestors return to the living world. According to John Stevenson, this print is drawn in the Shijō style, a simplified style of painting developed by 18th century artist Matsumura Goshun.

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Moon Gallery

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Moon