The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter Summary
The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter (Taketori Monogatari) is thought to have been written in the early Heian period, making it one of the oldest surviving stories in Japanese literature. Its author is unknown. The Tale of Genji calls it "the ancestor of all tales," the very first of Japan's prose stories. In Japan it is widely known as the story of Kaguya-hime, or Princess Kaguya, and is often retold as a folktale and in picture books.
Long ago, there lived an old man who made his living by cutting bamboo. One day he noticed a stalk of bamboo glowing at its base. When he went closer, he found a tiny girl, only about three sun (roughly 9 cm, or 3.5 inches) tall, sitting inside. He brought her home, and he and his wife, an old woman, raised her with great care. From then on, every time he cut bamboo, he found gold hidden between the joints of the stalks, and little by little the old man grew rich.
In just three months, the girl grew into a young woman. She was so radiantly beautiful that there was no dark corner left in the house. Akita of the Imbe Clan of Mimurodo gave her the name Nayotake no Kaguya-hime, and a celebration was held for three days. Hearing rumors of her beauty, men of every rank flocked to the house, but most of them eventually gave up and went away. Only five noblemen kept coming to the very end.
The old man urged the princess to marry, saying that he was past seventy and might die at any time. She answered that she would not marry anyone until she had tested how deep his feelings truly were. From here, the story moves on to the impossible tasks she sets for the five suitors, her meeting with the Emperor, and finally the night of the full moon when she returns to the Moon.
Story summary
Episode 1He Cut the Bamboo—and Found a Tiny Girl — Princess Kaguya
In the mangaIn a bamboo grove at dawn, the Bamboo Cutter finds a glowing stalk with a palm-sized girl inside, and he and his wife take her home. In just three months she grows into a beautiful young woman, and she is named Princess Kaguya. Five noble suitors refuse to give up on her. When the Bamboo Cutter begs her to marry, she replies, "I will marry whoever shows me the thing I wish to see."
In the original mythLong ago, an old man made his living by cutting bamboo in the hills and fields and crafting all sorts of things from it. His name was Sanuki no Miyatsuko, though the spelling differs slightly between old manuscripts. One day he noticed a single stalk glowing at its base. When he came closer, he saw light inside the hollow, and sitting there was a lovely little person only about three sun tall, roughly 9 centimeters…
Episode 2To Marry Her, Find What Doesn't Exist — Princess Kaguya's Five Impossible Tasks
In the mangaFive noble suitors just won't stop showing up, so Princess Kaguya sets them a challenge: if they truly love her, each must bring her a treasure that doesn't exist in this world. Prince Ishitsukuri goes first, and he cheats to get his bowl. The real one is said to glow blue. Will this one glow in the princess's light?
In the original mythThe Tale of the Bamboo Cutter (Taketori Monogatari) is a Japanese tale by an unknown author. It is usually dated to somewhere between the late 800s and the early 900s. Earlier in the story, an old bamboo cutter finds a tiny girl inside a glowing bamboo stalk and raises her. She grows into Princess Kaguya, and word of her beauty spreads. Men of every rank start hanging around her house, and some peek through gaps in…