“Taketori Monogatari,” or “The Old Bamboo-Hewer’s Story,” is a fascinating piece of early Japanese literature, well worth the short read. Written in the 10th century, it is one of the earliest known Japanese prose narratives, and the story recounts the beloved folktale of the bamboo princess, Kaguya.
The story is deeply ingrained and often recycled in the Japanese cultural imagination, whether in “The Tale of the Princess Kaguya,” a 2013 movie by Studio Ghibli or everything from the manga series, “Naruto,” to “Big Bird in Japan,” an American “Sesame Street” movie.
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