is a (fictional prose narrative) containing elements of

Japanese folklore Japanese folklore encompasses the informally learned folk traditions of Japan and the Japanese people as expressed in its oral traditions, customs, and material culture. In Japanese, the term is used to describe folklore. The academic study o ...

. Written by an unknown author in the late 9th or early 10th century during the

Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kanmu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means "peace" in Japan ...

, it is considered the oldest surviving work in the form. The story details the life of Kaguya-hime, a princess from the Moon who is discovered as a baby inside the stalk of a glowing

bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, ...

plant. After she grows, her beauty attracts five suitors seeking her hand in marriage, whom she turns away by challenging them each with an impossible task; she later attracts the affection of the

Emperor of Japan The Emperor of Japan is the monarch and the head of the Imperial Family of Japan. Under the Constitution of Japan, he is defined as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, and his position is derived from "the ...

. At the tale's end, Kaguya-hime reveals her celestial origins and returns to the Moon. The story is also known as , after its protagonist.Katagiri et al. 1994: 81.

Background

''The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter'' is considered the oldest surviving , though its exact date of composition is unknown. A poem in the , a 10th-century work that describes life in the imperial court, invokes the tale in reference to a moon-viewing party held at the palace in 909. A mention of smoke rising from

Mount Fuji , or Fugaku, located on the island of Honshū, is the highest mountain in Japan, with a summit elevation of . It is the second-highest volcano located on an island in Asia (after Mount Kerinci on the island of Sumatra), and seventh-highest ...

in ''The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter'' suggests that the volcano was still active at the time of its composition; the indicates that the mountain had stopped emitting smoke by 905. Other evidence suggests the tale was written between 871 and 881. The author of ''The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter'' is also unknown, and scholars have variously attributed it to

Minamoto no Shitagō was a mid Heian '' waka'' poet, scholar and nobleman. He was also a male-line descendant of Emperor Saga. He was the original compiler of the ''Wamyō Ruijushō'', the first Japanese dictionary organized into semantic headings. He was designate ...

(911–983), to the Abbot Henjō, to a member of the Imbe clan, to a member of a political faction opposed to

Emperor Tenmu was the 40th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 天武天皇 (40) retrieved 2013-8-22. according to the traditional order of succession. Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). ''The Imperial House of Japan'', p. 53. Tenmu's rei ...

, and to the poet Ki no Haseo (842–912). It is also debated whether the tale was written by one person or a group of people, and whether it was written in , Japanese , or even Chinese. The tale has been identified as proto-

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...

. Some of its science fiction plot elements include Kaguya-hime being a princess from the Moon, an extraterrestrial being raised by a human on Earth, and her being taken back to the Moon by her real extraterrestrial family. A manuscript illustration also depicts a round flying machine that resembles a

flying saucer A flying saucer (also referred to as "a flying disc") is a descriptive term for a type of flying craft having a disc or saucer-shaped body, commonly used generically to refer to an anomalous flying object. The term was coined in 1947 but has ...

. (

cf. The abbreviation ''cf.'' (short for the la, confer/conferatur, both meaning "compare") is used in writing to refer the reader to other material to make a comparison with the topic being discussed. Style guides recommend that ''cf.'' be used onl ...

) Kaguya's story also has similarities to a modern

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...

origin story In entertainment, an origin story is an account or backstory revealing how a Character (arts), character or group of people become a protagonist or antagonist, and it adds to the overall interest and complexity of a narrative, often giving reason ...

, particularly

that ''That'' is an English language word used for several grammatical purposes. These include use as an adjective, conjunction, pronoun, adverb, and intensifier; it has distance from the speaker, as opposed to words like ''this''. The word did not ori ...

Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book '' Action Comics'' #1 ( cover-dated June 1938 and pu ...

Narrative

One day in the

forest, an old bamboo cutter called comes across a mysterious, shining stalk of bamboo. Upon cutting it open, he is surprised to find an infant the size of his thumb inside. The old man and his wife, having no children of their own, decide to raise the infant as their own daughter, and name her . From that moment on, every time the man cuts a stalk of bamboo, he finds a small nugget of

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile ...

inside. The family soon grows rich, and within just three months, Kaguya-hime grows from an infant into a woman of ordinary size and extraordinary beauty. At first, the old man tries to keep news of Kaguya-hime away from outsiders, but as word of her beauty spreads, she attracts many suitors who seek her hand in marriage. The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter - Discovery of Princess Kaguya

The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter - Discovery of Princess Kaguya

Among the suitors are five nobles: , , , , and . They eventually persuade the old man to have Kaguya-hime choose from among them. Uninterested, Kaguya-hime devises five impossible tasks, agreeing to marry the noble who can bring her the item specified for him: the stone begging bowl of the

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in L ...

, a jeweled branch from the mythical island of Hōrai, a robe of Chinese fire-rat skins, a colored jewel from a

dragon A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted a ...

's neck, and a

cowry shell Cowrie or cowry () is the common name for a group of small to large sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries. The term '' porcelain'' derives from the old Italian term for the cowrie shell (''porcellana' ...

born from a

swallow The swallows, martins, and saw-wings, or Hirundinidae, are a family of passerine songbirds found around the world on all continents, including occasionally in Antarctica. Highly adapted to aerial feeding, they have a distinctive appearance. The ...

. Realizing the impossibility of his task, the first noble presents a fake stone bowl made from a blackened pot, but is exposed when Kaguya-hime notices that the bowl does not glow with holy light. The second noble presents a branch created by the country's finest jewelers, but is revealed when a messenger of the craftsmen arrives at Kaguya-hime's house to collect payment. The third noble is deceived by a merchant from China, who sells him a robe that burns when it is tested with fire. The fourth noble sets out to find a dragon at sea, but abandons his plans after encountering a storm. The fifth noble falls from a great height while reaching into a swallow's nest. After this, the

comes to visit Kaguya-hime and, after falling in love, asks her hand in marriage. Although he is not subjected to an impossible trial, Kaguya-hime rejects his request for marriage as well, telling him that she is not from his country and therefore cannot go to the palace with him. She remains in contact with the Emperor, but continues to rebuff his proposals. Three years pass as they continue to communicate by letter. That summer, whenever Kaguya-hime views the full moon, her eyes fill with tears. Though her adoptive parents grow very worried and question her, she refuses to tell them what is wrong. Her behaviour becomes increasingly erratic until she reveals that she is not of the Earth and that she must return to her people on the Moon. It is said that she was sent to the Earth, where she would inevitably form material attachment, as a punishment for some crime without further description. The gold was a

stipend A stipend is a regular fixed sum of money paid for services or to defray expenses, such as for scholarship, internship, or apprenticeship. It is often distinct from an income or a salary because it does not necessarily represent payment for work p ...

from the people of the Moon, sent to pay for Kaguya-hime's upkeep. As the day of her return approaches, the Emperor sends his guards to protect her from the Moon's people, but when an embassy of heavenly beings descends upon the bamboo cutter's house, the guards are blinded by a strange light. Kaguya-hime announces that, though she loves her many friends on Earth, she must return with the beings to her true home on the Moon. She writes sad notes of apology to her parents and to the Emperor, then gives her parents her own robe as a memento. She then takes a little of the

elixir of immortality The elixir of life, also known as elixir of immortality, is a potion that supposedly grants the drinker eternal life and/or eternal youth. This elixir was also said to cure all diseases. Alchemists in various ages and cultures sought the means ...

, attaches it to her letter to the Emperor, and gives it to the guard officer. As she hands it to him, a feather robe is placed on her shoulders, and all of her sadness and compassion for the people of the Earth are apparently forgotten. The entourage ascends into the sky, taking Kaguya-hime back to and leaving her earthly foster parents in tears. Gekkyu no mukae

The old couple become very sad and are soon put to bed sick. The officer returns to the Emperor with the items Kaguya-hime gave him as her last mortal act, and reports what happened. The Emperor reads her letter and is overcome with sadness, and asks his servants, "Which mountain is the closest place to Heaven?"; in response, one suggests the Great Mountain of

Suruga Province was an old province in the area that is today the central part of Shizuoka Prefecture. Suruga bordered on Izu, Kai, Sagami, Shinano, and Tōtōmi provinces; and was bordered by the Pacific Ocean through Suruga Bay to the south. Its abbrev ...

. The Emperor then orders his men to take the letter to the summit of the mountain and burn it, in the hope that his message would reach the distant princess. They are also ordered to burn the elixir of immortality, as the Emperor does not wish to live for eternity without being able to see her. Legend has it that the word for , became the name of the mountain,

. It is also said that the

kanji are the logographic Chinese characters taken from the Chinese script and used in the writing of Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese and are still used, along with the subsequ ...

for the mountain, which translate literally to , are derived from the Emperor's army ascending the slopes to carry out his order. It is said that the smoke from the burning still rises to this day. (In the past, Mount Fuji was a much more active volcano and therefore produced more smoke.)

Literary connections

Elements of the tale were drawn from earlier stories. The protagonist Taketori no Okina appears in the earlier poetry collection (; poem #3791). In it, he meets a group of women and he recites a poem to them. This indicates that there previously existed an image or tale revolving around a bamboo cutter and celestial or mystical women. A similar retelling of the tale appears in the 12th century (volume 31, chapter 33), although the relationship between these texts is debated.

In 1957, (), a Chinese book of Tibetan tales, was published. In the early 1970s, Japanese literary researchers became aware that (), one of the tales in the book, had certain similarities with ''The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter''. Initially, many researchers believed to be related to ''Tale of Bamboo Cutter'', although some were skeptical. In the 1980s, studies showed that the relationship between these stories was not as simple as initially thought. Okutsu provides an extensive review of the research, and notes that the book was intended to be for children, and as such, the editor took some liberties in adapting the tales. No other compilation of Tibetan tales contains the story. A Tibetan-born person wrote that he did not know the story. A researcher went to

Sichuan Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of t ...

and found that, apart from those who had already read , local researchers in

Chengdu Chengdu (, ; simplified Chinese: 成都; pinyin: ''Chéngdū''; Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: ), alternatively romanized as Chengtu, is a sub-provincial city which serves as the capital of the Chinese provin ...

did not know the story. Several Tibetan sources in Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture did not know the story either. The philological consensus is that the author of the 1957 book purposefully copied ''The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter''.

Chang'e

The Chinese legend of

Chang'e Chang'e ( ; , alternatively rendered as Chang-Er or Ch‘ang-o), originally known as Heng'e, is the Chinese goddess of the Moon. She is the subject of several legends in Chinese mythology, most of which incorporate several of the following elem ...

can be traced to the second century BCE. According to the main telling of the legend, a named Chang'e came to Earth, thereby losing her immortality. To get it back, she stole the elixir of immortality from the

Queen Mother of the West The Queen Mother of the West, known by various local names, is a mother goddess in Chinese religion and mythology, also worshipped in neighbouring Asian countries, and attested from ancient times. From her name alone some of her most importan ...

, then fled to the moon. The elements of immortality and flight are well-connected to the Daoist figure of the , as is the appearance of unusual figures in the mountains, but the Japanese tale includes many novel elements such as the bamboo cutter, the suitors, and the night abduction by floating creatures.

Legacy

''The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter'' is a popular folk tale in Japan. It has been adapted, updated and reworked into numerous modern media, especially

Japanese pop culture Japanese popular culture includes Japanese cinema, cuisine, television programs, anime, manga, video games, music, and doujinshi, all of which retain older artistic and literary traditions; many of their themes and styles of presentation can be tra ...

media such as

manga Manga ( Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is ...

and

anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...

Modern adaptations

Generally faithful adaptations of the original story include the following: * ''Princess Kaguya'' 1935 live-action Japanese film directed by Yoshitsugu Tanaka, with cinematography by

Eiji Tsuburaya was a Japanese special effects director and cinematographer. Known as the he worked on 250 feature films in a career spanning 50 years. He is regarded as one of the co-creators of the ''Godzilla'' series, as well as the main creator of the ...

. *''

Princess from the Moon is a 1987 Japanese film directed by Kon Ichikawa. It is based on ''The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter'', a 10th-century Japanese fairy tale about a girl from the Moon who is discovered as a baby inside the stalk of a glowing bamboo plant. Plot One da ...

'' 1987 live-action

Japanese film The has a history that spans more than 100 years. Japan has one of the oldest and largest film industries in the world; as of 2021, it was the fourth largest by number of feature films produced. In 2011 Japan produced 411 feature films that ea ...

directed by

Kon Ichikawa was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. His work displays a vast range in genre and style, from the anti-war films '' The Burmese Harp'' (1956) and '' Fires on the Plain'' (1959), to the documentary '' Tokyo Olympiad'' (1965), which won ...

, and starring Toshiro Mifune and Yasuko Sawaguchi. * '' The Tale of the Princess Kaguya'' 2013 anime film, directed by

Isao Takahata was a Japanese director, screenwriter and producer. A co-founder of Studio Ghibli, he earned international critical acclaim for his work as a director of Japanese animated feature films. Born in Ujiyamada, Mie Prefecture, Takahata joined Toe ...

and produced by

Studio Ghibli is a Japanese animation studio headquartered in Koganei, Tokyo."Studio Ghibli Collection - Madman Entertainment". ''Studio Ghibli Collection - Madman Entertainment''. Retrieved 2020-12-14. It is best known for its animated feature films, and h ...

. Modern updates and reworkings of the original story are found in numerous other works: * ''

Queen Millennia is a manga series by Leiji Matsumoto which was serialized from 28 January 1980 through 11 May 1983 in both the ''Sankei Shimbun'' and '' Nishinippon Sports'' newspapers. The manga series was adapted into a 42-episode anime television seri ...

'' (''The New Tale of the Bamboo Cutter'') 1980 Japanese manga,

light novel A light novel (, Hepburn: ''raito noberu'') is a style of young adult novel primarily targeting high school and middle school students. The term "light novel" is a '' wasei-eigo'', or a Japanese term formed from words in the English languag ...

and

franchise created by

Leiji Matsumoto is a Japanese mangaka, creator of several anime and manga series. His wife Miyako Maki is also a manga artist. Early life Matsumoto was the middle child of a family of seven brothers, and, in his early childhood, Matsumoto was given a 3 ...

. * '' Please Save My Earth'' 1986 manga and 1993 anime series. * ''

Big Bird in Japan ''Big Bird in Japan'' is a television special by the Children's Television Workshop (now Sesame Workshop), that aired on NHK in late fall of 1988, and on PBS on January 16, 1989. It is the sequel to '' Big Bird in China'' which was also based o ...

'' 1989 American ''

Sesame Street ''Sesame Street'' is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop until June 2000 ...

'' television special. * ''

Sailor Moon is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Naoko Takeuchi. It was originally serialized in Kodansha's ''shōjo'' manga magazine ''Nakayoshi'' from 1991 to 1997; the 52 individual chapters were published in 18 volumes. The se ...

'' 1991 Japanese manga and anime franchise. ** ''

Sailor Moon S The third season of the ''Sailor Moon'' anime series, ''Sailor Moon S'' (originally released in Japan as , and later as ''Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon S''), was produced by Toei Animation and directed by Kunihiko Ikuhara. It began broadcasting on ...

'' 1994 anime

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. ** '' Sailor Moon S: The Movie'' 1994 anime film. * '' Soul Eater'' 2003 manga. * '' From the Towers of the Moon'' 1992 American theatrical

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, inspired by the film ''Princess from the Moon''. * ''

Turn A Gundam , also stylized as ''∀ Gundam'', is a 1999 Japanese mecha anime series produced by Sunrise, and aired between 1999 and 2000 on Japan's FNN networks. It was created for the ''Gundam Big Bang'' 20th Anniversary celebration, and is the ...

'' 1999 ''

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'' anime series and film. * ''

Naruto ''Naruto'' is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. It tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja who seeks recognition from his peers and dreams of becoming the Hokage, the leader of his village. T ...

'' 1999 Japanese manga and anime franchise. * '' Mushishi'' 1999 manga and 2006 anime. * ''

Oh! Edo Rocket is a 2001 stage play written for the Gekidan Shinkansen theater troupe by Kazuki Nakashima and directed by Hidenori Inōe, with a novelization released in August of the same year. A manga adaptation illustrated by Una Hamana was serialized i ...

'' 2001 Japanese play and novel and 2007 manga and anime series. * '' Inuyasha the Movie: The Castle Beyond the Looking Glass'' 2002 ''

Inuyasha is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi. It was serialized in Shogakukan's ''shōnen'' manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' from November 1996 to June 2008, with its chapters collected in fifty-six '' ...

'' anime film. * In the 2003 book Publishing house De Geus, Breda 2003 Princess Kaguya portrays the

Narcissus Narcissus may refer to: Biology * ''Narcissus'' (plant), a genus containing daffodils and others People * Narcissus (mythology), Greek mythological character * Narcissus (wrestler) (2nd century), assassin of the Roman emperor Commodus * Tiberiu ...

conflict, a contradictory desire to coincide perfectly with the beloved and at the same time to be a unique and free individual. * ''

Imperishable Night is a 2004 vertical bullet hell scrolling shoot 'em up developed by Team Shanghai Alice. It is the eighth game in the '' Touhou Project'' series, and the third main ''Touhou'' game to be released specifically for the Windows operating system. ' ...

'' 2004 ''

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. * ''

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'' 2006

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video game. * '' Shiren the Wanderer'' 2008 video game. * ''Persona 4 Golden'' Persona Kaguya Hime in this 2012 enhanced port of ''

Persona 4 released outside of Japan as ''Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4'', is a 2008 role-playing video game by Atlus. It is chronologically the fifth installment in the ''Persona'' series, itself a part of the larger '' Megami Tensei'' franchise, and wa ...

'' video game is based on the tale. * '' Kaguya-sama: Love Is War'' 2015 manga and 2019 anime series. * '' Prince Kaguya'' 2015 musical. * ''

Pokémon Sun and Moon and are 2016 role-playing video games developed by Game Freak and published by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS. They are the first installments in the seventh generation of the ''Pokémon'' video game series. First a ...

'' Ultra Beast Celesteela from this 2016 video game is based on the tale. * '' Fly Me to the Moon'' 2018 manga and 2020 anime series. *On star Twinkle Precure there are two characters who were inspired to Kaguya the main character Kaguya Madoka when she trasform in Cure Selene, she become the Moon cure and a boundoury character named as princess Kaguya, who appear only in manga

Notes

References

Bibliography

* Katagiri Yōichi, Fukui Teisuke, Takahashi Seiji and Shimizu Yoshiko. 1994. in series. Tokyo: Shogakukan. *

Donald Keene Donald Lawrence Keene (June 18, 1922 – February 24, 2019) was an American-born Japanese scholar, historian, teacher, writer and translator of Japanese literature. Keene was University Professor emeritus and Shincho Professor Emeritus of Japane ...

(translator), ''The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter'', * ''Japan at a Glance'' Updated, , pages 164—165 (brief abstract) * Fumiko Enchi, "Kaguya-hime", (in Japanese

hiragana is a Japanese syllabary, part of the Japanese writing system, along with ''katakana'' as well as ''kanji''. It is a phonetic lettering system. The word ''hiragana'' literally means "flowing" or "simple" kana ("simple" originally as contras ...

) * *
, Japanese Text Initiative, Electronic Text Center, University of Virginia Library
*

External links

*

* Tetsuo Kawamoto
''The Moon Princess''
(translated by Clarence Calkins) {{DEFAULTSORT:Tale Of The Bamboo Cutter 9th-century books Buddhist folklore Extraterrestrial life in popular culture Japanese fairy tales Japanese folklore Japanese science fiction Late Old Japanese texts Heian period in literature Monogatari Fiction set on the Moon Fiction about alchemy Works of unknown authorship Japanese bildungsromans Kaguya-hime