The moon in Japanese mythology and culture

The moon is neither the God, the Rabbit’s home or the secret love poem, much more than the glowing rocks of Japan in the sky of Japan. From ancient chronicles to modern pop culture, the soft light of the moon always draws inspiration and admiration from the citizens of the rising sunland.

Here are some of the most beautiful, weirdest and lasting Japanese stories tied to the moon.

tsukuyomi: The lonely moon god

according to kojiki and Nihon Shokithe moon itself is a kind of deity: tsukuyomi-no-mikoto, a ritual of purification from the original God Izanagi. In ancient texts, Tsukuyomi is often described as cold and lonely, as well as siblings, sometimes Amaterasu’s siblings, the Sun Goddess. After witnessing Ukemochi’s food goddess creates meals through spitting and excretion, tsukuyomi kills her in disgust. Amaterasu felt fear and turned her face forever – leaving the sun and the moon destined to meet again.

It is a story of sacred alienation and sets the tone for the moon considered cool and mysterious in Japanese mythology.

“Receive Back to the Moon Palace” in Tsukioka Yoshitoshi’s 100 Moon Series, 1888

Princess kaguya: The moon girl was born from bamboo

Japan’s most famous moon story comes from folk stories from the 10th century Taketori Monogatari (Story of bamboo cutting machine). An ancient bamboo cutter found a glowing stem, inside which a little girl grew into a beautiful kaguya-hime. Despite being proposed by the nobles and even the emperor herself, she refused all of this. When her innate descends from heaven, she must take them back to the moon, leave the earth and those who love her.

A story about beauty, impermanence and desire, Princess Kaguya’s story shows that earthly happiness is always short-lived.

“The Rabbits Strike Life Elixir Under the Moon” (c. 1867) by Maury Ippo | Noma Collection

Rabbit on the moon

When a Western stargazer saw a “man on the moon”, a Japanese child grew up and saw a rabbit. This comes from a Buddhist folktale: a rabbit, an otter, a jack wolf and a monkey swear to help a hungry beggar. The monkeys collected the fruits, the otters caught fish, and the jack wolf brought the lizards and some milk curds, but the rabbits had nothing to offer. In piety, he threw himself into the fire. The beggar reveals his Shakra, who puts the selfless form of the rabbit on the moon forever.

In Japan, rabbits are not idle – he is playing rice cakes (Moqin) with mortar and pestle. The image closely relates the moon to abundance, autumn harvest and sweets, and is shared under the full moon.

The moon serves as a bridge to the spiritual world

Japanese folklore often regards the moon as a boundary space and is the gateway between the worlds. During Obon, it is said that when the spirit of the ancestors returned home, mirror lanterns in the sky floated on the river, guiding the dead. It also explains why Obon is celebrated in mid-August, which roughly matches the full moon in the pre-Gregorian calendar.

Although the moon usually has ethereal, positive meaning in Japan, red blood cells were a fearful sign for ancient villagers, what was about to happen. The moon has always been its own beauty and its own power: part of the light belonging to this world, part of the other world.

“Portrait of the Xiasuk Man” filmed in 1912 | Wikimedia

Famous lines of the Ministry of Health

The novelist Natsume Soseki (1867–1916) is considered one of Japan’s most famous moon quotes. When a student translates “I love you” literally into Japanese, Sosseki proposes a more subtle wording to fit the sensitivity of this era: “tsuki ga kirei desu ne” (The moon is beautiful, isn’t it?).

Whether the story is fabricated or not, this sentence becomes a shorthand in Japan’s low-key, affectionate emotions. This reminds of subtle beauty, and the moon often carries things we cannot say.

Provided by Netflix Media Center

Today’s Moon: From Tuchimi to Sailor Moon

In modern Japan, the moon is still bright. Every fall, families celebrate Tsukimi (Watch the moon), gathering dreamer Rice dumplings and enjoy the harvest moon. On the shelves of convenience and fast food restaurants, there are “tsukimi burgers” on top with fried eggs, golden and plump eggs, just like the moon above.

Of course, pop culture keeps the legend of the moon alive, the most obvious example is Sailor Moon “Fight against evil with moonlight.” The moon never stopped moving onto the canvas of old and new stories.

Whether it is a lonely God or a girl returning home, the Japanese moon is an everlasting metaphor for the subtle stories of life. It is a mirror of desire, sacrifice, beauty and miracle, a story that emanates every night.

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