The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter

In the heart of ancient Japan, lived a kind and humble bamboo cutter named Taketori no Okina. One day, while cutting bamboo in the forest, he discovered a mysterious and glowing bamboo stalk. With a heart filled with curiosity, he approached and found inside the stalk a radiant and tiny princess, no bigger than his thumb.

Taketori no Okina and his wife, childless until that moment, took the little princess into their care, naming her Kaguya-hime, which means “shining princess.” As days turned into weeks, Kaguya-hime grew into a mature and breathtakingly beautiful woman.

Despite her ethereal beauty, Kaguya-hime was a woman of profound mystery. Her melancholic eyes seemed to hide a sorrowful secret, a tale from another world. Five noble suitors from the capital were drawn to her beauty and came to seek her hand in marriage. Yet, she gave them impossible tasks, each relating to a legendary treasure.

Days turned into months, and despite the attention she garnered, Kaguya-hime’s sorrow seemed to deepen. She would often gaze at the moon, tears in her eyes, lost in thought.

Her adoptive parents worried for her and wondered about her true origin. It was then that Kaguya-hime revealed that she was from the Moon, and the time was nearing for her celestial family to bring her back home.

The night of her departure finally arrived, and celestial beings descended from the moon. Taketori no Okina and his wife were heartbroken, but they knew they couldn’t keep Kaguya-hime from her true home.

With a tender smile and tears in her eyes, Kaguya-hime kissed her earthly parents goodbye. She then ascended to the moon, leaving behind a world that had been touched by her grace, beauty, and the profound love of a humble bamboo cutter and his wife.

The tale of Kaguya-hime continues to be a symbol of ethereal beauty and love that transcends earthly boundaries. Her story is a reminder that true love is not confined by time or space but lives forever in the hearts of those who dare to embrace it.