Moon of the Festival of the Dead (Bon no tsuki) 1830

Editor: So, this is "Moon of the Festival of the Dead" by Kitoku, made around 1830. It's ink and color on paper and, well, it feels strangely intimate, like we're peering into a very ordinary, yet poignant, scene. The figures are absorbed in what they're doing. What do you see when you look at this, what's your perspective? Curator: Oh, it’s more than meets the eye, isn’t it? It’s funny; that title pulls at you – "Festival of the Dead" sounds so grand. But here, we find this very down-to-earth gathering. I wonder if they are playing a game. Do you notice the clock in the first frame? The suggestion is that while time relentlessly passes in one zone, something quite unique is unfolding in another zone, right next to it! Maybe it's a little bit humorous to see the daily co-existing with the yearly. And they all bow to fate, ultimately. I think Kitoku is showing us that even amongst rituals commemorating ancestors, daily life – with all its small interactions – persists. It feels quite cheeky. Editor: So it’s like a commentary on life continuing alongside remembrance? The mundane right next to the memorial. I love that clock detail, almost as if there is the sound of tick-tock. Curator: Precisely! I can imagine he is saying, "Remember the dead, of course, but also remember to play cards and keep warm and look around at your people." Or is it rather, don't ever forget them and just be glad to have another day here. Is this the first step towards accepting a new tomorrow? It's just gorgeously bittersweet, don't you think? I always think there is such beauty and comfort in these family rituals! Editor: It really makes you think about the layers in life – remembrance and the present, sadness and everyday joy – coexisting. And I think it definitely gives me a new appreciation for Ukiyo-e, especially because there's usually more meaning there than meets the eye. Curator: Absolutely, this quiet domestic scene becomes a meditation on time, memory, and connection. See, isn’t that better than the fireworks?