# Moon Viewing, from The Tale of Heike

- By: Yosa Buson (Japanese, 1716–1783)
- Date: 1700s
- Medium: hanging scroll; ink and light color on paper
- Classification: Painting
- Dimensions: Overall: 157.5 x 28.6 cm (62 x 11 1/4 in.); Painting only: 111.3 x 27.1 cm (43 13/16 x 10 11/16 in.)
- Culture: Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)
- Credit line: Sundry Purchase Fund
- Museum: [Cleveland Museum of Art](https://clevelandart.org/art/1971.233)
- Rights: [Public domain (CC0)](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- Picture: https://invisiblenetwork.ai/thumbs/cma/1971.233/1971.233_web.jpg
- Who can see it: Little Ones profiles and older (museums give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the museum's own words)

Drawing from Japanese literature, Yosa Buson copied almost the entire text of the “Moon Viewing” episode from The Tale of the Heike, a story of the rise and fall of the Taira family. The two characters he painted were given nicknames based on 31-syllable waka poems they composed. Seen from behind at the top is Matsuyoi, or “Waiting at Nightfall,” while the person striding below is Mono ka wa Kurando, roughly equivalent to “‘It’s Nothing’ Chamberlain.”