Ugo no Sangetsu (Mountain Moon after Rain)

This print is part of Yoshitoshi's famous series "100 Aspects of the Moon" which depicts scenes from traditional Chinese and Japanese history and lore. Soga no Goro Tokimune (12th century) and his brother Juro steal into a shogun's hunting camp on the slopes of Mt. Fuji to avenge their father by killing his murderer. Alas the men are discovered; Juro is killed and Goro is decapitalied by the emperor. The cuckoo flying across the moon is a symbol of the transience of life.