Two elegantly dressed courtesans admire a full moon, one smoking a pipe, as a third faces away, perhaps towards a guest, and sips sake from a shallow cup. She has a shamisen on her lap and is perhaps about to strike up the next tune. The sliding screens are open, giving us the image of a warm night, but perhaps there is a cool breeze, suggesting the change of seasons, as one courtesan perching on the balcony seems to pull her clothes a little closer around her.