Kinuyo Tanaka was Japan's leading actress in the early Thirties; in 1953, she became that country's first woman film director, and continued to direct with considerable success one film every two years. The Moon Has Risen was her second feature. It was co-written by Ozu, who originally intended to direct it himself.
“Set in Nara, this domestic drama concerns a widower (Chishu Ryu), his three daughters, and their romances. One daughter carries on a long distance affair by sending cables back and forth with her lover, listing the numbers of poems in the ‘Manyoshu' (famous eighth-century collection of poems). It is interesting to note that this film marks the debut of actor Shoji Yasui (best known for Harp of Burma and The Heart), who took his screen name from the name of the character.” --Alan Poul, Japan Society