かぐや姫の物語

ある日、竹取の翁という一人の老人が、光る竹を見つけます。竹を切ってみると、中には美しい小さな女性がいました。老人とその妻は子どもがいなかったため、彼らは彼女を引き取り、「かぐや姫」と名付けました。

時が経つにつれ、かぐや姫は非常に美しく成長します。その美しさは広まり、多くの男性が彼女と結婚しようと求婚者たちが現れます。しかし、かぐや姫は5人の求婚者たちに難題を出して、実力を試しますが、誰も成功しません。

その後、当時の日本の皇帝もかぐや姫に惹かれ、彼女と結婚を望みますが、彼女はその申し出も断ります。やがて、かぐや姫は自分が月の都から来たと告白し、地球での滞在が一時的なことであったことを明かします。

月の都からの使者がかぐや姫を迎えに来る日が近づくと、彼女は人々と別れを惜しみつつ、月へと帰るための準備を始めました。その日が来たとき、かぐや姫は皇帝へ不老不死の薬としての蓬莢（ほうがい）を贈り、自分自身は月から来た住民たちとともに再び月へと帰ります。

One day, an old man known as the Bamboo Cutter finds a shining bamboo stalk. When he cuts it open, he discovers a beautiful small woman inside. The old man and his wife, who had no children, decide to adopt her and name her Kaguya-hime.

As time passes, Kaguya-hime grows up to be incredibly beautiful. Her beauty becomes well-known, and many men appear wanting to marry her. However, Kaguya-hime presents five suitors with difficult challenges to test their abilities, but none of them succeed.

Later, the Emperor of Japan also becomes attracted to Kaguya-hime and desires to marry her, but she rejects his offer as well. Eventually, Kaguya-hime confesses that she comes from the Moon Capital and reveals that her stay on Earth was only temporary.

As the day when envoys from the Moon Capital arrive to take Kaguya-hime approaches, she reluctantly prepares to return to the moon while bidding farewell to the people she has grown close to. When the day comes, Kaguya-hime gives the Emperor the elixir of immortality known as the "jeweled branch of Hourai," and she returns to the moon with the residents who had come to bring her back.