The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter (Taketori monogatari)

Taketori Monogatari, or "The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter," is a story dating back to the 10th century, making it over a thousand years old. However, its significance goes beyond its historical value. It is a beautiful and captivating tale, so much so that Yasunari Kawabata, one of Japan's greatest novelists and a Nobel Prize winner in Literature, released his modern version in 1998. The central character is Kaguya-hime, a stunning princess who was found as a baby by an old bamboo cutter. Her beauty captivates men, and in an attempt to marry her, her guardian selects five suitors for her. The indifferent Kaguya-hime, reluctant to marry, imposes impossible tasks on them, leading to an unexpected conclusion. This work is part of the collection "1001 Books to Read Before You Die."