Effects of hot-water extract from Sasa quelpaertensis leaf (HWES) on melanogenesis were investigated in B16/F10 mouse melanoma cells. HWES inhibited cellular tyrosinase activity and melanin biosynthesis in a dose-dependent manner. Western blotting analysis showed that HWES dose-dependently inhibited tyrosinase and tyrosinase related protein-1 expression. Also, HWES suppressed sustained ERK activation in a concentration-dependent manner, suggesting that HWES inhibits the melanin biosynthesis through the suppressive effect against pathway involving sustained ERK activation.