As the sun hangs over the horizon just before it sets, it appears at its largest size and its deepest shade of red. The imagery of the sun (or more usually the moon) hovering within grasses was an established theme, suggesting the plain of Musashino that lay to the north of present-day Tokyo. The simplified composition of sun, ground, and grasses is contained within one half of the screen and is balanced by the expanse of gold leaf in the other half. The grasses waving in the wind add a sense of movement to the flat, stable areas of sun and ground.