Hanga

Moonlight Prints (434)

Moon-lit scenes (tsuki) and lunar compositions in Japanese woodblock prints. Moonlight prints use dramatic tonal contrasts to evoke atmosphere, from full moons over castle towers to crescent moons reflected in still water.

Artists Known for Moonlight

Utagawa Hiroshige, Japanese print artist

Utagawa Hiroshige

歌川広重

1797–1858

Kawase Hasui, Japanese print artist

Kawase Hasui

川瀬巴水

1883–1957

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, Japanese print artist

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi

月岡芳年

1839–1892

Ohara Koson, Japanese print artist

Ohara Koson

小原古邨

1877–1945

Kobayashi Kiyochika, Japanese print artist

Kobayashi Kiyochika

小林清親

1847–1915

Takahashi Shotei, Japanese print artist

Takahashi Shotei

高橋松亭

1871–1945

The Moon Reflected on the Water by the Pier of a Bridge by Utagawa Hiroshige

The Moon Reflected on the Water by the Pier of a Bridge

ca. 1845-1850

Print

Full Moon with a Cuckoo Flying above the Masts of Moored Boats by Utagawa Hiroshige

Full Moon with a Cuckoo Flying above the Masts of Moored Boats

ca. 1855

Print

Landscape with Moon, from the Aomomiji (Blue Maple Leaves) series by Tsuda Seifū

Landscape with Moon, from the Aomomiji (Blue Maple Leaves) series

青紅葉 — 月の風景

circa 1900-1910

Color woodblock print with silver powder on paper

Attack on Port Arthur in the Moonlight (Ryōjunkō gekka no kōgeki) by Shinohara Kiyooki

Attack on Port Arthur in the Moonlight (Ryōjunkō gekka no kōgeki)

旅順港月下之攻撃

1894

Color woodblock print triptych

Woman in Boat under Full Moon by Toyohara Chikayoshi

Woman in Boat under Full Moon

1871

Color woodblock print

Moonlight on Mt. Fuji, Japan by Lillian May Miller

Moonlight on Mt. Fuji, Japan

ca. 1920-1929

Color woodcut on paper

Half-Moon Castle by Mishima Shōsō

Half-Moon Castle

半月城

1892

Color woodblock print

Summer: Moon at Ryōgoku Bridge (Natsu, Ryōgoku no tsuki), from the series Famous Views of Edo in the Four Seasons (Shiki Kōto meisho) by Utagawa Hiroshige

Summer: Moon at Ryōgoku Bridge (Natsu, Ryōgoku no tsuki), from the series Famous Views of Edo in the Four Seasons (Shiki Kōto meisho)

20th century

Woodblock print; ink and color on paper

Fireflies Over the Uji River by Moonlight by Suzuki Shōnen

Fireflies Over the Uji River by Moonlight

Meiji period (1868–1912)

Hanging scroll; ink, color, and gold on silk

Moon over the Yi River (No. 7 from Henan Hasshō, Eight Excellent Views of Henan) by Sakai Bunsei

Moon over the Yi River (No. 7 from Henan Hasshō, Eight Excellent Views of Henan)

河南八勝 第七 伊瀬皎月

c. 1830s

Color woodblock print

Cherry Blossom under Misty Moon by Konoshima Ōkoku

Cherry Blossom under Misty Moon

朧月夜の桜

Taishō era

Ink and light color on silk; hanging scroll

Winter Moon (Kangetsu), left screen by Konoshima Ōkoku

Winter Moon (Kangetsu), left screen

寒月 左隻

1922

Ink and color on silk; folding screen

Moon over Musashino, from the series Worlds of Things (Momoyogusa) by Kamisaka Sekka

Moon over Musashino, from the series Worlds of Things (Momoyogusa)

百々世草 武蔵野の月

1909-10

Color woodblock print

Winter Moon (Kangetsu), right screen by Konoshima Ōkoku

Winter Moon (Kangetsu), right screen

寒月 右隻

1922

Ink and color on silk; folding screen

Related Subjects

AbstractAirportAnimalsArchitectureAutumn FoliageBijin-gaBirds & FlowersBoats & Ships

Frequently Asked Questions

Moon-lit scenes (tsuki) and lunar compositions in Japanese woodblock prints. Moonlight prints use dramatic tonal contrasts to evoke atmosphere, from full moons over castle towers to crescent moons reflected in still water.

Utagawa Hiroshige, Kawase Hasui, and Tsukioka Yoshitoshi are among the artists most associated with moonlight in our collection. Browse the full list of artists who explored this subject above.

Hanga currently catalogues 434 prints tagged with moonlight, spanning ukiyo-e, shin-hanga, and sōsaku-hanga traditions where applicable.