History Literature / TheTaleOfTheBambooCutter

''The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter'' (竹取物語, ''Taketori Monogatari'') is a Japanese fairy tale dating to approximately the 10th century. It is considered the oldest ''monogatari''[[note]]fictional prose narrative[[/note]] in Japanese literary history.

Since it's about a thousand years old, [[PublicDomainStories the story is in public domain]], and has been adapted many times. Direct adaptations include ''Film/PrincessFromTheMoon'' in 1987 and ''Anime/TheTaleOfThePrincessKaguya'' in 2013. It also memorably received a WholePlotReference in 1989 ''Film/BigBirdInJapan'' with the story narrated by Creator/PatMorita. Many other pieces of media also [[FairyTaleMotifs take inspiration from the story]], to the point that you can expect a female character named "Kaguya" to have [[MeaningfulName something to do with the legend]]. Due to its extraterrestrial plot elements, it is also considered one of the earliest examples of ScienceFiction.

''The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter'' (''Taketori Monogatari'') is a Japanese fairy tale dating to approximately the 10th century. It is considered the oldest ''monogatari''[[note]]fictional prose narrative[[/note]] in Japanese literary history.

As the story goes, an old bamboo cutter chances upon a beautiful stalk of bamboo, in which he finds a lovely baby girl the size of his thumb. Since he and his wife have no children, they adopt the baby as their own and christen her Nayotake no Kaguya-hime ("Shining Princess of the Young Bamboo"). Kaguya brings the family wealth -- every time the bamboo cutter cuts a stalk, he finds a nugget of gold -- and soon grows into a woman of extraordinary beauty. This attracts five suitors who want to marry her. Unwilling to marry any of them, Kaguya asks them to find [[EngagementChallenge an impossible item]], and remains unmarried when all of them fail. Eventually the Emperor himself comes to ask for her hand. Kaguya rebuffs him, but they remain in contact, and the Emperor eventually falls in love with her.

''The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter'' (''Taketori Monogatari'') is a Japanese folktale dating to approximately the 10th century. It is considered the oldest ''monogatari''[[note]]fictional prose narrative[[/note]] in Japanese literary history.

* YamatoNadeshiko: Kaguya-hime was sweet, polite, gentle and devoted to her adoptive parents. While she ''did'' [[ImpossibleTask ask her suitors to do impossible things as the condition to marry any of them]] (which meant, [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption none succeeded]]), it wasn't because of hate or cruelty, but because she had to return to the Moon at some point.

''The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter'' (''Taketori Monogatari'') is a Japanese folktale dating to approximately the 10th century. It is considered the oldest ''monogatari''[[note]]prose narrative[[/note]] in Japanese literary history.

As the story goes, an old bamboo cutter chances upon a beautiful stalk of bamboo, which turns out to contain a lovely baby girl the size of his thumb. Since he and his wife have no children, they adopt the baby as their own and christen her Nayotake no Kaguya-hime ("Shining Princess of the Young Bamboo"). Kaguya brings the family wealth -- every time the bamboo cutter cuts a stalk, he finds a nugget of gold -- and soon grows into a woman of extraordinary beauty. This attracts five suitors who want to marry her. Unwilling to marry any of them, Kaguya asks them to find [[EngagementChallenge an impossible item]], and remains unmarried when all of them fail. Eventually the Emperor himself comes to ask for her hand. Kaguya rebuffs him, but they remain in contact, and the Emperor eventually falls in love with her.

''The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter'' (''Taketori Monogatari'') is a Japanese folktale dating to approximately the 10th century. It is considered the oldest ''monogatari''[[note]]prose narratives[[/note]] in Japanese literary history.

''The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter'' is a Japanese folktale dating to approximately the 10th century. It is considered the oldest ''monogatari''[[note]]prose narratives[[/note]] in Japanese literary history.

The Emperor receives an elixir of immortality left to him by Kaguya. Unwilling to live without her, he orders his men to bring the elixir to the summit of the mountain closest to heaven, and burns the elixir along with a letter for her. [[JustSoStory This is mentioned as the reason smoke rises from Mount Fuji]].

The Emperor receives an elixir of immortality left to him by Kaguya. Unwilling to live without her, he brings his men to the summit of the mountain closest to heaven, and burns the elixir along with a letter for her. [[JustSoStory This is mentioned as the reason smoke rises from Mount Fuji]].

Since it's about a thousand years old, [[PublicDomainStories the story is in public domain]], and has been adapted many times. Direct adaptations include ''Film/PrincessFromTheMoon'' in 1987 and ''Anime/TheTaleOfThePrincessKaguya'' in 2013. It also memorably received a WholePlotReference in 1989 ''Film/BigBirdInJapan'' with the story narrated by Creator/PatMorita. Many other pieces of media also [[FairyTaleMotifs take inspiration from the story]], to the point that you can expect a female character named "Kaguya" to have [[MeaningfulName something to do with the legend]].

* ScienceFiction: The case has been made that it's one of the {{Ur Example}}s, with its plot elements including FirstContact with an extraterrestrial being visiting Earth for safety during a celestial war. One 10th-century manuscript even includes an illustration that looks a lot like a FlyingSaucer!

Since it's about a thousand years old, [[PublicDomainStories the story is in public domain]], and has been adapted many times. Direct adaptations include ''Film/PrincessFromTheMoon'' in 1987 and ''Anime/TheTaleOfThePrincessKaguya'' in 2013. It also memorably received a WholePlotReference in 1988 ''Film/BigBirdInJapan'' with the story narrated by Creator/PatMorita. Many other pieces of media also [[FairyTaleMotifs take inspiration from the story]], to the point that you can expect a female character named "Kaguya" to have [[MeaningfulName something to do with the legend]].

Since it's about a thousand years old, [[PublicDomainStories the story is in public domain]], and has been adapted many times. Direct adaptations include ''Film/PrincessFromTheMoon'' in 1987 and ''Anime/TheTaleOfThePrincessKaguya'' in 2013. It also memorably received a WholePlotReference in ''Film/BigBirdInJapan'' with the story narrated by Creator/PatMorita. Many other pieces of media also [[FairyTaleMotifs take inspiration from the story]], to the point that you can expect a female character named "Kaguya" to have [[MeaningfulName something to do with the legend]].

* ScienceFiction: The case has been made that it's one of the {{Ur-Example}}s, with its plot elements including FirstContact with an extraterrestrial being visiting Earth for safety during a celestial war. One 10th-century manuscript even includes an illustration that looks a lot like a FlyingSaucer!

* ScienceFiction: The case has been made that it's one of the {{Ur Example}}s, with its plot elements including FirstContact with an extraterrestrial being visiting Earth for safety during a celestial war. One 10th-century manuscript even includes an illustration that looks a lot like a FlyingSaucer!

* ScienceFiction: The case has been made that it's an UrExample, with its plot elements including FirstContact with an extraterrestrial being visiting Earth for safety during a celestial war. One 10th-century manuscript even includes an illustration that looks a lot like a FlyingSaucer!

* ScienceFiction: The case has been made that it's an UrExample, with its plot elements including FirstContact with an extraterrestrial being visiting earth for safety during a celestial war. One 10th-century manuscript even includes an illustration that looks a lot like a FlyingSaucer!

* ScienceFiction: The case has been made that it's an UrExample, with its plot elements including FirstContact with an extraterrestrial being visiting earth for safety during a galactic war. One 10th-century manuscript even includes an illustration that looks a lot like a FlyingSaucer!

Since it's about a thousand years old, [[PublicDomainStories the story is in public domain]], and has been adapted many times. Direct adaptations include ''Film/PrincessFromTheMoon'' in 1987 and ''Anime/TheTaleOfThePrincessKaguya'' in 2013. Many other pieces of media also [[FairyTaleMotifs take inspiration from the story]], to the point that you can expect a female character named "Kaguya" to have [[MeaningfulName something to do with the legend]].

Since it's about a thousand years old, [[PublicDomainStories the story is in public domain]], and has been adapted many times. Direct adaptations include ''Film/PrincessFromTheMoon'' in 1987 and ''Anime/TheTaleOfThePrincessKaguya'' in 2013. Many other pieces of media also [[FairyTaleMotifs take inspiration from the story]], to the point that you can expect a female character named "Kaguya" to have [[MeaningfulName something to do with the fairytale]].

[[quoteright:350:Kaguya ascending to the Moon.]]

Since it's about a thousand years old, [[PublicDomainStories the story is in public domain]], and has been adapted many times. Direct adaptations include ''Film/PrincessFromTheMoon'' in 1987 and ''Anime/TheTaleOfThePrincessKaguya'' in 2013. Many other pieces of media also [[FairyTaleMotifs take inspiration from the story]], to the point that you can expect a female character "Kaguya" to have [[MeaningfulName something to do with the fairytale]].

* EngagementChallenge: Kaguya asks her five suitors to find an impossible items the Buddha's begging bowl, a jeweled branch from the mythical island of Hōrai, a robe made of Chinese fire-rat skins, a jewel from a dragon's neck, and a cowry shell born from a swallow -- and says she'll marry the one who brings her the real thing.

* JustSoStory: Explains Mount Fuji's volcanic activity as the Emperor burning things to reach Kaguya on the moon.

* YamatoNadeshiko: Kaguya-hime was sweet, polite, gentle and devoted to her adoptive parents. While she ''did'' [[ImpossibleTask ask her suitors to do impossible things as the condition to marry any of them]] (which meant, [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption neither succeeded]]), it wasn't because of hate or cruelty, but because she had to return to the Moon at some point.

* YamatoNadeshiko: Kaguya-hime was sweet, polite, gentle and devoted to her adoptive parents. While she ''did'' [[ImpossibleTask ask her suitors to do impossible things as the condition to marry any of them]] (which meant, [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption neither succeeded]]), it wasn't because of hate or cruelty, but because she had to return to the Moon at some point, to become its Queen.

* EngagementChallenge: Kaguya asks her five suitors to find an impossible items: the Buddha's begging bowl, a jeweled branch from the mythical island of Hōrai, a robe made of Chinese fire-rat skins, a jewel from a dragon's neck, and a cowry shell born from a swallow -- and says she'll marry the one who brings her the real thing.

* YamatoNadeshiko: Kaguya-hime was sweet, polite, gentle and devoted to her adoptive parents. While she ''did'' [[ImpossibleTask ask her suitors to do impossible things as the condition to marry any of them]] (which meant, [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption neither succeeded]]), it wasn't because of hate or cruelty, but because [[spoiler:she had to return to the Moon at some point, to become its Queen.]]