Tsukioka Yoshitoshi's One Hundred Aspects of the Moon
Among collectors of Japanese woodblock prints, few series are as admired as Tsukioka Yoshitoshi's One Hundred Aspects of the Moon. Published between 1885 and 1892, the series consists of one hundred woodblock prints inspired by the moon. Yet despite its title, this is not really a series about the moon.
Cover of the series and index of prints
The moon is the thread that connects the series, but the real subject is the stories. Every print opens a door into a different corner of Japanese history, folklore, literature, religion, or legend. Warriors, poets, monks, emperors, ghosts, fox spirits, legendary heroes, tragic lovers, and historical figures all appear beneath Yoshitoshi's moon.
I believe that if someone were to learn the story behind every print in this series, they would come away with a deep understanding of Japanese culture. That is one of the reasons One Hundred Aspects of the Moon remains one of the greatest achievements of Japanese woodblock printing.
Yoshitoshi and His Greatest Series
Tsukioka Yoshitoshi was born in 1839 and entered the studio of the legendary artist Utagawa Kuniyoshi at just eleven years old.
Kuniyoshi was one of Japan's greatest designers of warrior prints, and his influence can be seen throughout Yoshitoshi's career. He encouraged his students to draw from observation and depict figures more realistically, a departure from the exaggerated facial features and conventions that characterized much of the traditional Utagawa School.
Combined with Yoshitoshi's own artistic sensibilities, this training produced a style that was remarkably individual. His figures feel more realistic, more expressive, and often more psychologically complex than those of many of his contemporaries.
Throughout his career Yoshitoshi produced a succession of important print series. He terrified audiences with One Hundred Ghost Stories from China and Japan, appealed to patriotic sentiment with Mirror of Famous Generals of Japan, demonstrated his mastery of beauty and psychology in Thirty-Two Aspects of Women, and shocked the public with the notorious Twenty-Eight Famous Murders with Verse. The warriors, historical figures, psychological portraits, folklore, and supernatural themes that appeared throughout these earlier works would all come together in his final masterpiece.
One Hundred Aspects of the Moon was published during the final years of Yoshitoshi's life. Although each design features the moon in some way, the moon is rarely the true subject. Sometimes it appears prominently in the sky, sometimes it is reflected in water, and sometimes it is only suggested through the story itself.
Nine Remarkable Prints from One Hundred Aspects of the Moon
The Jade Rabbit
A giant full moon fills the background. In the foreground are the legendary Monkey King, Sun Wukong, while to the left appears the Jade Rabbit, the mythical rabbit believed to live on the moon.
The inspiration for this print comes from the Chinese classic Journey to the West. What makes the composition so memorable is the stark framing of these two figures against the moon. Sun Wukong strikes an active martial arts pose with his staff breaking through the left border of the print, while the leaping rabbit represents the distant and mysterious realm of the moon.
Moon of Pure Snow at Asano River
This is one of my all-time favorite prints in the series.
The young woman Chikako has learned that her father has been imprisoned. Desperate to save him, she throws herself into the freezing waters of the Asano River, praying that her sacrifice will move the gods to show mercy.
Yoshitoshi captures the exact moment she plunges into the icy river. Her long, colorful sleeves billow upward, creating a sense of movement against the cold winter landscape. The snowy banks and moonlight emphasize the harshness of her decision. Unfortunately, her sacrifice failed to free her father, who eventually died in prison. Two cranes, often seen as symbols of justice and longevity, take flight nearby. It is one of the most emotionally powerful prints in the series.
Moon Above the Sea at Daimotsu Bay
Here we see the warrior-priest Musashibō Benkei standing on the prow of his ship, praying to pacify the angry spirits of the fallen Taira warriors, symbolized by the dark clouds and enormous waves surrounding the vessel.
His prayers are heard, and he saves his master, Minamoto no Yoshitsune, from shipwreck. This is one of the most popular prints in the series. The massive black waves and sinister clouds create movement and tension while Benkei stands calmly in the middle of the storm.
Moon and Smoke
This is one of those prints that, once you see it, you never forget.
We're looking at the frightening reality of living in Edo, a city built almost entirely of wood and paper. Fire was a constant threat, and Edo maintained numerous fire brigades, each identified by its own distinctive standard.
Yoshitoshi cleverly tricks the viewer. At first glance, the large circular fire brigade standard appears to be the moon. Only after looking more carefully do we discover the real moon, much smaller and partially hidden behind drifting smoke.
The back of the fireman dominates the foreground, his reinforced jacket contrasting with the yellow-orange flames that consume the city beyond. In deluxe impressions, the printer even splashed ink across the surface to represent specks of ash floating through the air.
Moon of the Southern Sea
One of the most beautiful and spiritual designs in the series, this print depicts Kannon, the Buddhist goddess of mercy, seated calmly while waves crash violently around her.
The scene refers to Kannon's legendary dwelling on a rocky outcropping off the southern coast of India. Despite the turbulence of the sea and the dark clouds drifting across the moon, Kannon remains perfectly serene.
Look closely and you'll notice the embossing on her white robe and the golden halo surrounding her head. The contrast between the violence of nature and the tranquility of the bodhisattva creates one of the most balanced compositions in the series.
Mountain Moon After Rain
This print really demonstrates Yoshitoshi's remarkable ability to render realistic human figures.
The image comes from the true story of the Revenge of the Soga Brothers. Here we see the younger brother, Soga Gorō Tokimune, just before he sets out to avenge his father's murder.
The rain has stopped, the night is still, and he grips his sword while watching a cuckoo fly past the crescent moon. In Japanese folklore, the cuckoo is a bad omen, quietly foreshadowing his fate.
Kitayama Moon
Yoshitoshi illustrates the famous legend of the court musician Toyohara Sumiaki.
While walking over the moors north of Kyoto beneath the moonlit sky, he is confronted by a pack of wolves. Believing he is about to be eaten, he begins playing his favorite melody on a wooden flute.
The wolves become captivated by the music before quietly retreating into the woods. I especially like the intense pink cloud framing the moon, and I've always loved the way artists such as Kuniyoshi and Yoshitoshi depict wolves with their long, narrow snouts.
Konkai — The Fox's Bark
This print illustrates one of Japan's best-known fox-spirit legends.
A fox spirit disguises itself as the old priest Hakuzōsu and visits the priest's nephew, who is a hunter. The fox persuades him to stop hunting foxes and later eats the real priest, impersonating him for fifty years. Eventually, during a deer hunt, two dogs recognize the deception and tear the fox spirit apart.
The print is beautifully restrained. The monochromatic greys are interrupted only by the warm brown-orange tones of the fox's face, immediately drawing the viewer's eye. Above, the crescent moon quietly completes the composition.
Hazy-night Moon
This is widely considered one of the masterworks of the entire series.
Here we see the ghost of the renegade priest Kumasaka Chōhan, a robber from a fifteenth-century Noh play. After he is killed attempting to rob a gold merchant at an inn in Akasaka, his ghost is said to haunt the area.
Yoshitoshi makes the ghost so enormous that he literally spills beyond the borders of the print. His richly patterned robes stand out against a beautiful blue bokashi background that intensifies his supernatural presence.
You may notice that there is no visible moon. In the Noh play, Kumasaka remarks, "The moon does not rise till dawn tonight; and even when she rises, she will be covered." Rather than depicting the moon directly, Yoshitoshi references it through the story itself.
Collecting One Hundred Aspects of the Moon
We've only looked at nine prints, yet we've encountered warriors, ghosts, fox spirits, Buddhist legends, Chinese literature, historical events, and stories of loyalty and sacrifice. Imagine what you'll discover in the other ninety-one designs.
The prints were issued individually, or occasionally in small groups, over a seven-year period, with the final design completed shortly before Yoshitoshi's death. The series proved enormously popular, and customers reportedly lined up to purchase new releases as soon as they became available.
After Yoshitoshi died in 1892, his publisher, Akiyama Buemon, issued an album edition containing all one hundred prints, printed from the original woodblocks.
Today, original impressions continue to appear regularly in galleries and at auction. It is still possible to assemble a complete collection, although it requires patience. Depending on rarity, condition, and the quality of the impression, prices generally range from around $700 to $3,000 per print, with the most desirable designs commanding considerably more.
Final Thoughts
More than 130 years after its completion, One Hundred Aspects of the Moon remains one of the crowning achievements of Japanese woodblock printing.
Whether you're drawn to the artwork, the history, or the stories themselves, the series offers an endless opportunity to learn more about Japan's rich cultural heritage. If I had to recommend a single ukiyo-e series that captures the full breadth of the medium, Yoshitoshi's One Hundred Aspects of the Moon would be at the very top of my list.