
Moon
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Image courtesy of
- Japanese Art Open Database
Description
Moon subjects in Japanese woodblock printing carry deep literary and poetic associations, from the harvest moon of autumn to the cold winter moon reflected on snow. Yoshida's print likely centers the lunar disc within a nocturnal landscape, using minimal color — perhaps deep indigo or blue-black ink with white or pale yellow reserved for the moon itself — to evoke the stillness of night. Bokashi gradations across the sky plane would establish the transition from darkness to the moon's luminous field. The surrounding landscape — trees, water, or open terrain — provides scale and compositional anchoring. The technical challenge of printing a luminous circle against a dark ground requires precise registration and often the use of a lighter, less opaque pigment layer. The result is characteristically restrained, relying on tonal contrast rather than color complexity.
More Prints by Tsukasa Yoshida
More Landscapes Prints

Lake Kugushi in Wakasa Province (Wakasa Kugushiko), from the series Souvenirs of Travel I (Tabi miyage dai isshu)"
Wakasa Kugushiko
1920
Color woodblock print; oban

Autumn Maple Leaves at Takao, from the album Eight Views of Kyoto (Kyôto hakkei)
Woodblock print

The Beach at Kaiganji in Sanuki Province (Sanuki Kaiganji no hama), from the series "Collection of Views of Japan II, Kansai Edition (Nihon fukei shu II Kansai hen)"
1934
Color woodblock print; oban

Tea Kettle, section of a sheet from the series "Mirror of Stone Rubbings of Views of the Provinces" (Kohon meihitsu ishizuri kagami)
n.d.
Woodblock print; ishizuri-e, section of harimaze sheet
Featured in Collections
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Frequently Asked Questions
Moon was created by Tsukasa Yoshida (吉田司).
Moon depicts landscapes and night scenes.



