Farmers Celebrating the Autumn Moon

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. Matsuo Basho (1644-1694) is considered to be the master of haiku poetry. He rejected the urban and social world of literary society, instead choosing to wander the country, gaining inspiration for his poems. Here he encounters two farmers who are celebrating the mid-autumn moon festival and composes the verse, "Since the crescent moon, I have been waiting for tonight".