Thanks for the great comment. Yep, the 1st and 3rd are both by Kawase Hasui. He made a number of prints with the moon as the focus. Good eye.

The haiku stand by themselves. Most of the poets would have written words only. Sometimes they may have included some sketches (Buson was famous for this) but most didn't. The prints are picked by me to try to match with the words or the feeling in the words as best as possible. So, yeah, more of a composite. Ideally the print helps illustrate something of what the poet was getting at.

What you felt in that movie is common in Japanese things. Seeped in Buddhist ideology, there is a feeling of the pathos to all things. And this influences all art in the country, which has a strong zen feeling. Simple, beautiful. Enjoy every moment because it will never come again—the transience of life. It all comes together to produce a unique aesthetic.

Glad you enjoyed the post. :) I post them everyday, so stay tuned for more.