The Rabbit and the moon, Japanese Tattoo Design

The moon rabbit or moon hare is a mythical figure in Asian folklore who lives on the Moon, based on pareidolia interpretations that identify the dark markings on the near side of the Moon as a rabbit or hare. The folklore originated in China and then spread to other Asian cultures. In East Asian folklore, the rabbit is seen as pounding with a mortar and pestle, but the contents of the mortar differ among Chinese, Japanese and Korean folklore. In Chinese folklore, the rabbit often is portrayed as a companion of the Moon goddess Chang'e, constantly pounding the elixir of life for her; but in Japanese and Korean versions, the rabbit is pounding the ingredients for rice cake. In some Chinese versions, the rabbit pounds medicine for the mortals. Unrelated moon folklore arising among native cultures of the Americas, also have rabbit themes and characters.

This piece is inspired by One Hundred Aspects of the Moon - Jade Rabbit by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi. The original Scene includes the Monkey King, pronounced Wu Kong in Chinese. Sun Wukong fights the Moon Rabbit, a scene in the sixteenth century Chinese novel, Journey to the West.

As a body suit concept I wanted to explore, I chose to focus on the Rabbit and the moon, The clouds and the water within the beautiful moon light. With the possibility of putting more emphasis on the Monkey King on the other side of the body, or integrated within the same tattoo panel.

This is a design I am likely to create in the near future. I am looking forward to tattoo based on a similar piece.

Prints can be arranged on demand.

Next Trip to Europe in June 2020

Contact : yosotattoo@gmail.com

Instagram : @yosotattoo