The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter is a popular folk tale in Japan. 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. It follows the life of a girl called Little Bamboo by her friends as she grows exponentially after being found in a glowing bamboo stalk by a local bamboo cutter … Chitose talking about Tsukasa. The Tale of the Princess Kaguya ANIME From Studio Ghibli, the studio that brought you the Academy Award® winning Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, and The Wind Rises, comes a powerful and sweeping epic that redefines animated storytelling and marks a triumphant highpoint within an extraordinary filmmaking career for director Isao Takahata. The fourth noble sets out to find a dragon at sea, but abandons his plans after encountering a storm. The oldest surviving complete manuscript is dated to 1592. The Tale of Princess Kaguya is one of the most beautiful Studio Ghibli films I've seen in a long time but also one of the saddest. "; in response, one suggests the Great Mountain of Suruga Province. The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (2013) Awards. The story is also known as The Tale of Princess Kaguya (かぐや姫の物語, Kaguya-hime no Monogatari), after its protagonist. Parental Guidance:Some material of this video may not be suitable for children below 13 years of age. 329–355. When he had made his choice, he would cut down these feathers of the forest, and splitting them lengthwise, or cutting them into joints, would carry the bamboo wood home and make it into various articles for the household, and he and his old wife gained a small livelihood by selling them. They name her Kaguya-hime. Long, long ago, there lived an old bamboo wood-cutter. The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter is considered the oldest extant work of Japanese literature, and Takahata has made no significant changes to the narrative. In addition to this episode The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter is related to the manga side story The Lover of Princess Kaguya, which was adapted as the Sailor Moon S movie. The film is based on the story "The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter". [8][9] Initially, many researchers thought that "Banzhu Guniang" must be related to Tale of Bamboo Cutter, although some were skeptical. The snow and frost and the cold winds gradually gave place to the gentle warmth of spring. The style recalls old Japanese paintings (see below for one from The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, 17 th century), though modernised a little to work better in motion. It is said that the smoke from the burning still rises to this day. The anime The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (Drama, Fantasy, Romance). In this hopeless state the winter passed. The people of the Moon are the ones who sent the gold that Takeotri no Okina had kept finding in the bamboo stalks to pay for her keep and as a reward for taking care of her. For three days the festival was kept up with song and dance and music. 3 VIDEOS | 72 IMAGES Found inside a shining stalk of bamboo by an old bamboo cutter and his wife, a tiny girl grows rapidly into an exquisite young lady. Work: Hoshino Kouji Studio Ghibli. https://tonikaku-kawaii.fandom.com/wiki/The_Tale_of_The_Bamboo_Cutter?oldid=4264, Country of Origin: United States of America. 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. One day, he discovers a small baby inside a … “The Tale of the Princess Kaguya” is an anime adaptation of the Japanese folklore called “Taketori Monogatari” in the tenth century, which translate to the tale of the bamboo cutter. The protagonist Taketori no Okina appears in the earlier poetry collection Man'yōshū (c. 759; poem# 3791). The Emperor of Japan fell head over heels in love with Kaguya and begged her to marry him countless times. At the tale's end, Kaguya-hime reveals her celestial origins and returns to the Moon. ), Elements of the tale were drawn from earlier stories. 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 old man, full of wonder, dropped his ax and went towards the light. "A glass butterfly that flutters through the night to the moon." It is considered the oldest extant Japanese prose narrative, although the oldest manuscript dates to 1592. Fiction Kaguya-hime (fairy tales and folklore) Kaguya-hime (かぐや姫, "Princess Kaguya"), the main character in The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, thought to be the oldest Japanese folktale . The mysterious young princess enthralls all who encounter her, but ultimately she must confront her fate, the punishment for her crime. Every day, the old man went up to the mountain to cut bamboo for a living, which is why the people of the village called him the old bamboo cutter; but the old man’s real name was Sanuki Nomiya Tsukomaro2. The tiny girl was so exceedingly beautiful and so small, that the old woman put her into a basket to safeguard her from the least possibility of being hurt in any way. The fifth noble falls from a great height while reaching into a swallow's nest. A recent theory links the "C" in Cawaii to the shape of a crescent moon. It is a Studio Ghibli’s anime and was directed by Isao Takahata, the cofounder of Studio Ghibli. 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. Obviously, that makes sense only if she is Kaguya. She writes sad notes of apology to her parents and to the Emperor, then gives her parents her own robe as a memento. Its precise date of composition is unknown: Though some scholars say it cannot be later than 909, others claim it may be as late as 920.Most agree, however, that the current text dates from around 960. The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (Japanese: かぐや姫の物語, Hepburn: Kaguya-hime no Monogatari) is a 2013 Japanese anime historical fantasy film co-written and directed by Isao Takahata, based on The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, a 10th-century Japanese literary tale. [1], The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter is considered the oldest surviving monogatari, though its exact date of composition is unknown. Suddenly the green grove of bamboos was flooded with a bright soft light, as if the full moon had risen over the spot. 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. [12], The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter is a popular folk tale in Japan. Description: In an idyllic rural setting an old bamboo cutter and his wife raise a tiny girl found nestled within a glowing bamboo stalk along with a fortune in gold. The entourage ascends into the sky, taking Kaguya-hime back to Tsuki no Miyako (月の都, "the Capital of the Moon") and leaving her earthly foster parents in tears. Fruits Basket (The Great Race) Fruits Basket has more of an influence on Chinese fairytales than … She was of such wondrous beauty that they placed her behind the screens like a princess, and allowed no one to see her, waiting upon her themselves. In some versions, it is said that she was sent to the Earth, where she would inevitably form material attachment, as a punishment for some crime, while in others, she was sent to Earth for her safety during a celestial war. In the 1980s, studies showed that the relationship between these stories is not as simple as initially thought. They stood there in all weathers, in sunshine and in rain. The Emperor reads her letter and is overcome with sadness, and asks his servants, "Which mountain is the closest place to Heaven? 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. Her surname: Tsukuyomi refers to the moon god in Shinto and Japanese mythology. doi:10.2307/2382982. Other evidence suggests the tale was written between 871 and 881. This is a Japanese folk-tale dating from the 10th century. Coincidences? Find out more with MyAnimeList, the world's most active online anime and manga community and database. Still, in spite of all this disappointment they stayed on day after day, and night after night, and counted it as nothing, so great was their desire to see the Princess. In the early 1970s, Japanese literary researchers became aware that "Banzhu Guniang" (班竹姑娘), one of the tales in the book, had certain similarities with The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter. 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 plant. One day while working in the forest, an old bamboo cutter splits open a shining stalk of bamboo to find a baby girl inside. In it, he meets a group of women and he recites a poem to them. [12] Several Tibetan sources in Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture did not know the story either. The officer returns to the Emperor with the items Kaguya-hime gave him as her last mortal act, and reports what happened. At the Japanese school I teach at (in Prague), we had a group of students perform a skit of the Tale of the Bamboo Cutter in English. The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter (also known as The Tale of Princess Kaguya ) is a 10th-century (Heian Period) Japanese Monogatari (fictional prose narrative). The old man and his old wife lived together in a nice little house. A bamboo cutter named Sanuki no Miyatsuko discovers a miniature girl inside a glowing bamboo shoot. The old man and his wife, having no children of their own, decide to raise the infant as their own daughter, and name her Nayotake no Kaguya-hime (なよたけのかぐや姫, "Shining Princess of the Young Bamboo"). It seems likely that the Tale of the Bamboo Cutter served as some inspiration for the story of Sailor Moon. (In the past, Mount Fuji was a much more active volcano and therefore produced more smoke. 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, a jeweled branch from the mythical island of Hōrai, a robe of Chinese fire-rat skins, a colored jewel from a dragon's neck, and a cowry shell born from a swallow. A manuscript illustration also depicts a round flying machine that resembles a flying saucer. Suitors from far and near posted themselves outside the house, and made little holes in the fence, in the hope of catching a glimpse of the Princess as she went from one room to the other along the veranda. These five men even went without their meals, and took snatches of whatever they could get brought to them, so that they might always stand outside the dwelling. The gold was a stipend from the people of the Moon, sent to pay for Kaguya-hime's upkeep. Advertisement: The Tale of the Princess Kaguya is a 2013 Japanese animation film from Studio Ghibli, directed by Isao Takahata, based on the 10th-century Japanese folk story The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter. Three years pass as they continue to communicate by letter. The third noble is deceived by a merchant from China, who sells him a robe that burns when it is tested with fire. He was very poor and sad, for no child had Heaven sent to cheer his old age, and in his heart, there was no hope of rest from work till he died. Legend has it that the word for immortality, 不死 (fushi), became the name of the mountain, Mount Fuji. [14][15], The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter has been identified as proto-science fiction. Three months passed quickly away, and in that time the bamboo child had, wonderful to say, become a full-grown girl, so her foster-parents did up her hair and dressed her in beautiful kimonos. [16] Kaguya's story also has similarities to a modern superhero origin story, particularly that of Superman.[17]. He was very poor and sad also, for no child had Heaven sent to cheer his old age, and in his heart there was no hope of rest from work till he died and was laid in the quiet grave. 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. It seemed as if she were made of light, for the house was filled with a soft shining, so that even in the dark of night it was like daytime. This indicates that there previously existed an image or tale revolving around a bamboo cutter and celestial or mystical women. She was found in a glowing stalk of bamboo from Taketori no Okina. He built himself a fine house, and was no longer known as the poor bamboo woodcutter, but as a wealthy man. 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. They stayed there day and night, sacrificing even their sleep for a chance of seeing her, but all in vain. Music: Hisaishi Joe. Showing all 13 wins and 38 nominations ... BTVA Anime Dub Movie/Special Voice Acting Award: ... Best Male Vocal Performance in an Anime Feature Film/Special in a Supporting Role James Caan. That summer, whenever Kaguya-hime views the full moon, her eyes fill with tears. The Tale of the Princess Kaguya is an anime from studio »Studio Ghibli« that falls into the main genre of Drama. ... "I don't want to talk about any spoilers, but you can expect more of the additional and anime-original scenes." One morning as usual he had gone out to his work, and having found a nice clump of bamboos, had set to work to cut some of them down. The old couple were now very happy, for it had been a lifelong regret that they had no children of their own, and with joy they now expended all the love of their old age on the little child who had come to them in so marvelous a manner. Believing her to be a divine presence, he and his wife decide to raise her as their own, calling her "Princess". Then when letters failed to draw any reply, they wrote poems to her telling her of the hopeless love which kept them from sleep, from food, from rest, and even from their homes. It was produced by Studio Ghibli for Nippon Television Network, Dentsu, Hakuhodo DYMP, Walt Disney Japan, Mitsubishi, Toho and KDDI, and distributed by Toho. Every morning he went forth into the woods and hills wherever the bamboo reared its lithe green plumes against the sky. They eventually persuade the old man to have Kaguya-hime choose from among them. The fame of the Princess’s loveliness spread far and wide, and many were the suitors who desired to win her hand, or even so much as to see her. Sutemaru, the oldest among Kaguya's friends, develops a close rel… Then they approached the house, and tried to speak to the old man and his wife or some of the servants, but not even this was granted them. At last the day came for the naming of their new-found child, so the old couple called in a celebrated name-giver, and he gave her the name of Princess Moonlight, because her body gave forth so much soft bright light that she might have been a daughter of the Moon God. Deep in the countryside, a man named Okina works as a bamboo cutter in a forest, chopping away at the hollow plants day after day. Her presence seemed to have a benign influence on those there. Many Japanese people are familiar with the native folk tale The Tale of The Bamboo Cutter, which is the basis for director and Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata’s directorial swansong. In an idyllic rural setting, an old bamboo cutter and his wife raise a tiny girl found nestled within a glowing bamboo stalk along with a fortune in gold. She then takes a little of the elixir of immortality, attaches it to her letter to the Emperor, and gives it to the guard officer. The director spent years thinking about the story and struggling with how he could make a … He gave her the name of Kaguya-hime (Princess Moonlight) because her body gave forth so much soft bright light that she might have been a daughter of the Moon God. In most likely all the important situations in the manga there is the moon. Believing her to be a divine presence, he and his wife decide to raise her as their own, calling her "Princess". The film itself doesn’t actually have much to do with the story. [4][5], A similar retelling of the tale appears in the c. 12th century Konjaku Monogatarishū (volume 31, chapter 33), although the relationship between these texts is debated.[6]. It is also debated whether the tale was written by one person or a group of people, and whether it was written in kanbun, Japanese kana, or even Chinese.[3]. The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter: | | ||| | Discovery of Princess Kaguya ... World Heritage Encyclopedia, the aggregation of the largest online encyclopedias available, and the … The old couple become very sad and are soon put to bed sick. The Tale of the Princess Kaguya is a 2013 Studio Ghibli film. Some of its science fiction plot elements include Kaguya-hime being a princess from the Moon who is sent to Earth for safety during a celestial war, an extraterrestrial being raised by a human on Earth, and her being taken back to the Moon by her real extraterrestrial family. Katagiri Yōichi, Fukui Teisuke, Takahashi Seiji and Shimizu Yoshiko. 4 (1956): pp. The Tale of The Bamboo Cutter. At the end of these long months they called out to the old bamboo-cutter and entreated him to have some mercy upon them and to show them the Princess, but he answered only that as he was not her real father he could not insist on her obeying him against her wishes. A bamboo cutter named Sanuki no Miyatsuko discovers a miniature girl inside a glowing bamboo shoot. The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter (Japanese: 竹取物語, Hepburn: Taketori Monogatari) is a monogatari (fictional prose narrative) containing elements of Japanese folklore. No other compilation of Tibetan tales contains the story. It has been adapted, updated and reworked into numerous modern media, especially Japanese pop culture media such as manga and anime. The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter is the first extant Japanese monogatari, or work of literary fiction. The fact she married Nasa comes in contraposition with every time Kaguya refused the emperor's proposes. New York: A.L.Burt Company. Monumenta Nipponica 11, no. “You must be sent to be my child, for I find you here among the bamboos where lies my daily work," he said. In 1957, Jinyu Fenghuang (金玉鳳凰), a Chinese book of Tibetan tales, was published. bamboo cutter. Take your favorite fandoms with you and never miss a beat. As the voice of "Bamboo Cutter". One day, an old and childless bamboo cutter discovers a child inside a glowing bamboo plant. Source: Ozaki, Y.T. It is considered one of the oldest extant Japanese prose narrative. It is considered one of the oldest extant Japanese prose narrative. Kaguya seems to possess magical powers, and she brings the family good fortune in the form of wealth. The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, a 2013 Studio Ghibli animated film based on the folktale; Kaguyahime, a manga series by Reiko Shimizu based on the folktale; Prince Kaguya, a musical based on the folktale From that moment on, every time the man cuts a stalk of bamboo, he finds a small nugget of gold inside. 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. Clocking in at 2 hours and 17 minutes, it stands as Ghibli's longest film ever released and the third-longest animated film in the world, only bested by The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya from three years … As she… This includes how to handle a Katana properly and information regarding various locations and landmarks. Based on the Japanese Folktale "The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter". “You must be sent to be my child, for I find you here among the bamboos where lies my daily work,” said the old man, and taking the little creature in his hand he took it home to his wife to bring up. * Adaptation of the Japanese folk tale Taketori Monogatari (Tale of the Bamboo Cutter), also known as Kaguya Hime (Princess Kaguya). Keene, Donald. Discovery of Princess Kaguya The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter (竹取物語 T aketori Monogatari) is a 10th-century Japanese monogatari (fictional prose narrative) containing folkloric elements. Taketori no Okina (the Old Man who Harvests Bamboo in the tale) was married, but he had no children although he and his wife would have like one. The story of the bamboo cutter and Princess Kaguya is old, References are made to it in the oldest Japanese poetry anthology, the “Manyōshū” (circa 759 AD). Tsukasa seems to have a wide range of knowledge concerning aspects of Japanese history. Ultimately she must face her fate, punishment for her crime. There are four roles (Narrator, Princess Kaguya, the old man, and the old lady). They had sent Kaguya-hime to earth because she needed to learn an important lesson. All the friends and relations of the old couple were present, and great was their enjoyment of the festivities held to celebrate the naming of Princess Moonlight. "The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter." Indeed when she went to Nara, she talks about such things as if she had experienced them herself but never elaborates. In developing the characters, he said that Kaguya and Miyuki initially have the same personality and thought process, like twins, which made their exposition to the reader easier to understand. Japanese Fairy Tales. Based on the classic Japanese folktale, "The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter", "The Tale of The Princess Kayuga" is the strikingly beautiful culmination of decades of contemplation by director and Studio Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata. The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter (also known as The Tale of Princess Kaguya ) is a 10th-century (Heian Period) Japanese M onogatari (fictional prose narrative). Looking for information on the anime Kaguya-hime no Monogatari (The Tale of the Princess Kaguya)? Three months passed quickly away, and in that time the bamboo child had, wonderful to say, become a full-grown girl, so her foster-parents did up her hair and dressed her in beautiful kimonos. The legend dates back to ancient Japan, and is believed to be its first-ever piece of fictional prose, known as monotogari. Looking round in astonishment, he saw that the brilliance was streaming from one bamboo. [3], The author of The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter is also unknown, and scholars have variously attributed it to Minamoto no Shitagō (911–983), to the Abbot Henjō, to a member of the Imbe clan, to a member of a political faction opposed to Emperor Tenmu, and to the kanshi poet Ki no Haseo (842–912). 1994. Everyone who saw her declared that there never had been seen any one so lovely; all the beauties throughout the length and breadth of the land would grow pale beside her, so they said. They are also ordered to burn the elixir of immortality, as the Emperor does not wish to live without being able to see her. The girl grows rapidly and conspicuously, causing her parents to marvel and earning her the nickname "Takenoko" (Little Bamboo) from the other village children. Having no children of his own, the old man is excited and takes her home to raise her with his wife. Japanese Fairytale: The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter (Taketori Monogatari) / Princess Kaguya. [11] A researcher went to Sichuan and found that, apart from those who had already read "Jinyu Fenghuang", local researchers in Chengdu did not know the story. Okutsu provides an extensive review of the research, and notes that the book Jinyu Fenghuang was intended to be for children, and as such, the editor took some liberties in adapting the tales. Though her adoptive parents grow very worried and question her, she refuses to tell them what is wrong. It primarily details the life of a mysterious girl called Kaguya, who was discovered as a baby inside the stalk of a glowing bamboo plant. Sometimes they wrote letters to the Princess, but no answer was vouchsafed to them. She also appears to have some connection with the moon as her grand-aunt, Tokiko, borrowed a moonstone to help "ease her". Kaguya-hime The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter is a 10th-century Japanese folktale. It is also said that the kanji for the mountain, 富士山 (literally "mountain abounding with warriors"), are derived from the Emperor's army ascending the slopes to carry out his order. A mention of smoke rising from Mount Fuji in The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter suggests that the volcano was still active at the time of its composition; the Kokin Wakashū indicates that the mountain had stopped emitting smoke by 905. As she approaches adulthood, the bamboo cutter uses the fortune to … Still Princess Moonlight gave no sign of having received their verses. [7] Kaguya-hime. Among the suitors are five nobles: Prince Ishitsukuri (石作皇子), Prince Kuramochi (車持皇子), the Minister of the Right Abe no Mimuraji (右大臣阿倍御主人), the Grand Counselor Ōtomo no Miyuki (大納言大伴御行), and the Middle Counselor Isonokami no Marotari (中納言石上麻呂). On nearer approach he saw that this soft splendor came from a hollow in the green bamboo stem, and still more wonderful to behold, in the midst of the brilliance stood a tiny human being, only three inches in height, and exquisitely beautiful in appearance. Upon cutting it open, he is surprised to find an infant the size of his thumb inside. He liked princess stories, and Kaguya-hime was one of the most famous princess stories. At last, however, most of the men, seeing how hopeless their quest was, lost heart and hope both, and returned to their homes. [13] It has been adapted, updated and reworked into numerous modern media, especially Japanese pop culture media such as manga and anime. Tonikaku Kawaii Wiki is a FANDOM Anime Community. Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Inuyasha the Movie: The Castle Beyond the Looking Glass, "Hot Clip: Ghibli's 'Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, "VIDEO: Studio Ghibli's "Princess Kaguya" Featured in Ad", "Turn A Gundam's 20th Anniversary: A Reflection", "The Tale Of The Bamboo Cutter, Japan's 10th-Century Sci-fi Folk Tale", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Tale_of_the_Bamboo_Cutter&oldid=1006850752, Articles containing Japanese-language text, Articles with Japanese-language sources (ja), Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WorldCat-VIAF identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. (1908). [10], A Tibetan-born person wrote that he did not know the story. "A moonstone to ease Tsukasa" Chitose, Chapter 14, The Princess Kaguya comes back to the moon, Kaguya-hime goes back to the Moon with the moon people, The Bamboo cutter takes Kaguya-hime to his home, Drawn by Tosa Hiromichi, c. 1600. One day in the bamboo forest, an old bamboo cutter called Taketori no Okina (竹取翁, "old bamboo harvester") comes across a mysterious, shining stalk of bamboo. She remains in contact with the Emperor, but continues to rebuff his proposals. Whenever the old man felt sad, he had only to look upon his foster-daughter and his sorrow vanished, and he became as happy as when he was a youth. After this, the Emperor of Japan comes to visit Kaguya-hime and, after falling in love, asks her hand in marriage. Summary As part of the Manga Classic Literature (Koten Bungaku) series, Ikeda adapts for manga the tale of the bamboo cutter. From this time on, the old man often found gold in the notches of the bamboos when he hewed them down and cut them up; not only gold, but precious stones also, so that by degrees he became rich. For other uses, see. The Plot: The film is focused on a princess who is adopted by a couple who live in the country. All except five Knights, whose ardor and determination, instead of waning, seemed to wax greater with obstacles. Generally faithful adaptations of the original story include the following: Modern updates and reworkings of the original story are found in numerous other works, which include the following: "Princess Kaguya" redirects here. This page was last edited on 15 February 2021, at 03:53. The characters' names were from The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter. 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. And that highlights a possible theory in which Tsukasa married Nasa because she is repented for refusing a marriage with the emperor in the past. 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. It primarily details the life of a mysterious girl called Kaguya, who was discovered as a baby inside the stalk of a glowing bamboo plant. [a] A poem in the Yamato Monogatari, 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. The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter. The film was directed by Isao Takahata. Then the summer came, and the sun burned white and scorching in the heavens above and on the earth beneath, and still these faithful Knights kept watch and waited. The bamboo cutter Okina （翁 meaning old man）discovers a small doll-like girl in a bamboo stalk. Written by an unknown author in the late 9th or early 10th century during the Heian period, it is considered the oldest surviving work in the monogatari form. Every morning, the old man would say, "Grandma, I’m leaving." While the series may focus on the misadventures of Kaguya and Miyuki, it certainly seems like Chika Fujiwara has stolen… The movie derives from an ancient Japanese story, The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter which is considered the oldest extant prose narrative of Japan dating back to the 10th century.